Project Nomad
by Martamos
Summary: Future Industries has been broken into and the thief is no where I sight. There are only two leads, the Air Nomad symbol painted on the wall and a guy from Temple City that knows more than he's telling. Korra's life just got more confusing than ever and why is everyone so secretive about Project Nomad? (Chapters 1 & 2 corrected of mistakes)
1. Chapter 1

_This is my first Korra fic and I have to say I like the story Ive chosen. I hope you like this Intro._

_Additional: I have due to requests begun going through my word to get rid of the grammar errors. I have done all my dyslexia addled mind will allow so I hope this time it is more legible. For more American readers if there are any i would also ask you to remember that I am British so my spelling and use of certain words will be different from your own in some cases._

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own The legend of Korra or any of the characters there in, please support the official release preferably by watching show and writing fan fics about it._

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**Chapter 1 – Crime Scene**

"What did they take?' Korra asked Asami examining the massive tear in the vault door.

The two of them were standing in the Future Industries central vault, over a hundred feet beneath the main company compound. It was supposed to be one of the most secure locations in republic city, mainly due to its secrecy. Only a few dozen people knew it was down here, most of those loyal guards that kept the vault secure round the clock.

Constructed ten years ago from pure platinum and titanium and locked with one of the most complex locking systems Future Industries could produce. No one in the company or the small number in the police force had ever considered it could be broken into.

However no one could deny away that jagged hole ripped into the three foot thick vault door. No bender should have been able to gain access to it but...

"Random blue prints," Asami sighed, she looked exhausted, "there are hundreds of finished and unfinished designs in here, it will take me weeks to figure out what they took. Half of it was from my father's time and as you can guess he didn't exactly keep the best records."

Korra paced angrily along the lines of shelves that filled the room. Apart from the half destroyed door the room looked almost untouched. The thief had not damaged anything important, which seemed almost impossible but...

She stopped at the end of the room and frowned up at the main focus of her irritation, of everyone's irritation. While the large metal room she stood in was made mainly from platinum, the inside was made of a darker stronger metal to ensure its integrity.

At the end of the room where one of the shelves had been pulled away was a large stretch of dark grey wall. On it were three large spirals, painted in white and spaced out like triangle. The sight of it had driven Tenzin from the room, even if it had been the reason why he had been brought down.

It was a traditional Air Nomad symbol, the one used to represent both their old nation and there element.

"There still arguing about this one," Asami said to her left, reaching out a hand and lightly touching the dry paint.

Korra nodded angrily, "Tenzin's still answering questions about it."

"They don't think it's him right?'

She shook her head, "He doesn't match the description, he's too tall." she replied still staring at the three swirls, "They just want to know if he knows anyone that could...well you know..."

"That doesn't make any sense, I mean do they really think some guy with an air nomad fetish decided to rob me just to paint my wall?" It did sound a bit stupid.

"Beifong just got excited when someone said Air Nomad in front of him," she grumbled trying to make it sound like she thought the idea of there being a real connection was ridiculous. Though she had to admit she had a feeling in her gut that there was more to this than she was seeing, she hated that feeling.

The best theory right now said that someone with a grudge or a hatred for air nomads had done this to discredit them. It made sense at least though several people though it had been done just to throw everyone off the scent of the real criminal.

"Are they talking to any Air Acolyte?" Asami asked, Korra gave her a look like 'Are you kidding', "Hey Im just asking, there are bad eggs in every group."

"The most dangerous thing the Air Acolyte do is feel sky bison an hour late," Korra pointed out, giving Asami a comforting smile that she looked like she really needed, "I can't see one blowing off a vault door."

Asami sighed smiling back a little, though half heartedly, "They don't even know how it was done Korra, there's no explosive residue and the door was platinum over titanium, no one could bend it!" she was sounding increasingly worried, "it was made by my father to be literally unbendable!"

Korra put a comforting hand on her friends back and gave her a squeeze. The two of them had been through rocky times with both Mako and the incident with her father. But at the end of the day Asami was Korra's best female friend and she would do whatever she could to make her feel better.

Throwing the same arm around Asami's shoulders she pulled her into a rough but affectionate hug and pulled her away from the eyesore.

"Don't worry Asami," Korra said giving the taller girl a slight shake, "you know we'll catch the one that did this. I'm the Avatar, name one thing I can't do?"

Asami laughed at her boast, "Thanks Korra, I really appreciate you coming down here so quickly."

"Hey no problem," Korra replied gently angling Asami out of the crime scene at towards the elevator, "you know we all have your back. Now come on your going to get nothing but a head ache staying down here."

They made their way out of the vault at towards the elevator. Outside the vault things were less tidy the two guard station's were in splintered ruins and a seven foot gash had been cut into the ceiling. Pieces of the vault door were all over the place as if they had been thrown backwards away from the vault.

"How is that even possible?" she asked Korra as she stepped over one of the more sizable chunks or expensive door.

"Maybe platinum is not as bender proof as we though," Korra suggested, though she could not imagine the way anyone could have bent like this. The idea that someone was doing this alone was just scary.

Luckily for them the highly unpleasant elevator was still working, it seemed the thief had gone out the same way he had come in. They were silent on the way up, Asami it seemed need time to think or grieve over her shattered sense of security.

She left Asami to her thoughts, it was obvious she needed some head space right now and Korra pestering her was not going to help.

The scene on the surface was a lot more hectic than down in the vault. Police were everywhere searching the compound any clue as to who or what had attacked them. Korra understood exactly why everyone was so on edge, everyone remembered how much damaged Hiroshi Sato's machines had done in the Equalists movement.

The idea of anything similar happening again was unthinkable. Republic city did not need another civil war like that. It sent a chill down her spine, thinking about all those blue prints in the wrong hands or a lot of wrong hands.

Korra looked around for any sign of Tenzin. From what she could see he was no where outside but she did see some large police issue tents that had been set up a few hundred yards away which were being guarded by several metal benders and a police mecha tank.

Guessing he had to be in there she turned to Asami, "You want to come check on Tenzin with me?"

Asmai shook her head, "I need to go start damage control, my PR people are probably wetting them selves right now over the fall out from this."

"Ok" Korra said nodding in understanding, "call if you want any company. I think I can handle being girly for a night if it will cheer you up."

Asami gave her a quick hug, "Sounds good Avatar, I might just do that," with that she walked away a bit of her old confidence back in her step.

Korra made her way towards the three tents, as she got closer she realised her instincts were right about Tenzin being over there. She could hear him, Beifong and Saikhan arguing inside the middle tent. No one stopped her as she shouldered her way inside.

"A coincidence does not make him a suspect!" Tenzin half shouted from across a metal fold away table covered in a map of the surrounding area and another of the Republic city area as a whole.

"Tenzin," Beifong said in a calming manner, "none of us are saying he did it."

"Speak for yourself," Saikhan muttered, after loosing his position as chief of police to Beifong after the mess he had made of the Equalist uprising he had be reduced to her second in command. Korra was more than aware this had left him a little bitter, towards all of them.

"Can it Capatin!" Beifong snapped at him, "find me evidence that puts that boy here during the robbery and ill arrest him, but only after you got that?"

"Yes Chief," he grumbled not sounding convinced.

Lin continued, "Like I was saying it's not like I want to arrest Nam or Rin, but I have to question them. If they know anything that could be helpful..."

"Who's Nam?" Korra asked interrupting there conversation.

Lin rolled her eyes at Korra's interruption but didn't look annoyed, "Ask Tenzin, I've only met him once."

Tenzin looked at her for a second as if deciding what would be best to tell her, she hated when he did that, "His name is Nam-kha," Tenzin said as if this was the most important point she had to know, "he's from Temple city."

Temple city was a mountainous city build around an ancient air temple in the north. It was a technological marvel and had been since the hundred year war. The odd city was an unofficial part of both Republic city and Air nomad society.

"Is he an Acolyte or something?" she asked, she knew from what Tenzin had told her that there was a monastery on one of the mountains and that there were Air Acolytes there.

Tenzin looked uncomfortable, "No exactly," he said scratching his arrow nervously, "he's part of a community within Temple city that my father brought together several years before his dead," ouch that one chilled her to the bone, "they are...how should I put this..."

"Nut jobs?" Saikhan suggested in an unhelpful manner, he cowered a bit at the look Beifong then gave him.

"There Air Nomads with out the air," Beifong supplied prompting a raised eyebrow from Tenzin.

"I suppose that's correct...if limited," he grumbled glaring at Lin who did not look apologetic.

"Woh who," Korra said raising her hands to get them to stop glaring at each other, "last I checked there were only five Air Nomads, one of whom can't walk yet. So who's this guy?"

"There are five Airbenders," Tenzin corrected, "Nam and his people are all of heavy Air Nomad decent. They were gathered in the hope that they may one day produce actual Airbenders. As far as we know it has yet to work."

Korra was starting to catch on, "So you think that this guy could be the guy that drew the Air Nomad symbol on the wall?"

"No one is saying that," Lin interjected glaring at her second in command to challenge her statement.

"But your thinking it," Korra said with a slight note of triumph in her voice, she liked to work things out without people having to tell her, "or at least your thinking he knows the one that did."

"Which I refuse to believe!" Tenzin said his anger flaring again, "The thief was definitely a bender yes," he looked around the room for conformation, not that he needed it even Korra could tell that the damage had to have been done by a bender, "there are no bender's in the...in Nam's community so how could he know?"

"I would rather ask him and get it over with, no Tenzin!" she raised a hand to stop him from interrupting again, "Im not moving on this one. If your right and he knows nothing then we can let him go, but if Im right and he might know then we need to find out."

Tenzin ground his teeth for nearly a minute before saying, "Fine but I want to watch the interrogation myself. He is one of my people, I need to be there for him." when Lin nodded he sighed with relief.

"Captain," Lin said commandingly causing Saikhan to snap to attention, "get back to the station and have a squad track down Nam-kha and bring him in for questioning." Korra frowned a little, a whole squad for one guy?

"That wont be necessary Lin," Tenzin said his voice in it's usual calm and controlled state, "He's staying on the island with the Acolytes ."

"Are you mad!" Lin asked sounding a little angry.

"Lin!" Tenzin chided, "Nam is not as dangerous as you think."

"He is still dangerous!" she half shouted, "last time he was here in the city he broke into a Triad building and nearly burnt it down!"

"The Agni Kais burnt it down," he corrected though Korra was starting to agree with Beifong about this one, even she would not go alone into an Agni Kai den without heavy back up. "by your own logic I and my family are safe."

Lin threw up her hands in surrender, "Fine Tenzin have it your way, juts don't come crying to me when he sinks you all into Yue Bay!"

"That was also an accident!"

Lin shook her head at him and gesture to Saikhan to follow her out of the room, "Ill see you on the island."

Tenzin stood the second she was out of the room and rounded on Korra, "Korra I need t you to run directly to the temple and warn Nam before they get there."

"What?' she asked a little confused.

"Warn him Korra!" he implored desperately, "if he thinks there there to arrest him he might fight them just for the fun of it."

"I though you said he was peaceful!" Korra said accusingly, she knew this smelt fishy when Tenzin had stood up for a guy that sounded to her like a first class whack job.

"He is," Tenzin said assuringly not convincing her in the slightest, "but he also loves a challenge, now go Korra please before it's to late!"

She glared at him for a second before dashing out of the tent. She was the Avatar after all, it was her job to protect people...even from themselves...

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_Hope you enjoyed the chapter, there will be more coming along with updates for several others of my stories over the next few days. Reviews are welcome._


	2. Chapter 2

_Well here's chapter two that I have to say I quite like which is rare for my work. I usually hate it and have to wait for that feeling to go away before I can write more of it. But anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter._

_**Disclaimer:** The Legend of Korra is not mine and I do not own any of it. If I did you would know, everyone would be a lot more British._

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**Chapter 2 – Korra's Favourite Thing**

_Looking back at it...meh she would have done it the same way. _

_All she knew was she wanted to punch him again...and then again. It really did not matter to her in the long run that she had gone to the Air Temple to help Nam but..._

_Well there are people out there who just push your buttons the wrong way. Nam...he's a button pusher, will face like a fist magnet._

_Thinking back...well she would do nothing different._

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Air travel was awesome and it was her favourite part of being an Airbender. It was even better when she was using the Avatar state to fly and ridiculous speeds. To be honest she had actually had way too much fun flying because by the time she reached the Air Temple...she owed Tenzin a new glider.

The Temple was surprisingly quiet for the current situation. Air Acolytes were wondering around doing mid day chores, a Sky Bison has chosen part of the training field as a new napping spot and for some reason she could hear flute music.

Not one to waste time she ran to the nearest Acolyte, a young mousy haired woman a few years older than Korra and maybe half as tall and pulled her to a stop, "Nam where is he?" she half shouted at her making the diminutive woman cower a little.

"W...who?" she stammered fearfully, her big eyes watering and making Korra feel like a Sky Bison bullying a lemur.

"Sorry," she apologised quickly releasing her arms and holding up her hands trying to calm her down.

The tiny woman shrank away from Korra, clasping her hands protectively over her chest. She still looked on the verge of tears.

"What do you want?" she asked taking a small step away from Korra as she said it.

She took a deep breath, soothing out the excess energy from the Avatar state, "There is a man here by the name of Nam-kh..." she paused forgetting how to say the second half the guy's name, "Nam, do you know where he is?"

She gently shook her head seeming to relax a little, "No sorry," she squeaked, it should be illegal for people to be this cute and defenceless, she was like a baby moose lion.

Korra sighed and looked back at Yue Bay, she could not be sure but she thought she could see a police airship headed in their direction. She had very little time before they got here.

"Have you seen him at all at day?" she asked turning back to the tiny Acolyte.

A faint blush appeared on the girls cheeks and she looked away from Korra, "I..I think so," she squeaked, "he was...over by the men's dormitories..."

Leaping into an air scooter, Korra made at once for the dorms knocking over the poor Acolyte as she passed. "Sorry!" she called back marvelling for a second at how far the woman had flown.

She moved as far as she could across the island passing the sleeping Sky Bison where the flute music was also coming from.

She rarely had any reason to into the main areas of the men's dorm. She usually made a bee line for Mako's room and ignored everyone else. Thanks to that after she arrived she found herself lost in the mix of corridors and small courtyards that made up the men's dorm.

At least she could not here that damn flute music, why was an acolyte playing a lullaby for a sky bison?

She looked everywhere in the building, short of searching though all the rooms. She got nowhere, to be honest she had next to no idea what to look for apart from look for some guy that's not an Acolyte.

"Nam!" Korra shouted not seeing any other option, "NAM!"

Several passing Acolytes stopped in shock, staring at her in confusion. Surprisingly however she got lucky as one Acolyte pointed her back towards the training grounds and the sleeping Sky Bison. Was Nam the Bison's name too?

Having no other ideas she raced back towards the training area. She was sure any minute Beifong and her men would descend on the hapless Northerner...and it would be her fault. As she got closer to her destination she realised that the flute music was getting slowly louder.

This Nam could not have been playing a lullaby to a Sky Bison while she tore she hair out looking for him.

Save for the giant Bison snoozing a short way from the spinning gates nothing looked out of the ordinary. However she had been right, the flute music was loudest around here, but where could this guy be if she couldn't...

Realising her mistake and forgetting how her frantic her search had been for a second, she walked around the Bison's immense frame so see three figures sat leaning against its stomach. She only briefly registered Jinora and Ikki, who both looked half asleep, before her eyes were drawn to the man playing to the flute. Well she thought it was a flute...where normal flues four feet long and made of bamboo.

She knew at once than this guy had to be Nam, the odd name fit him very well. Though he was the last thing she had expected in a man connected to ancient Air Nomad tradition.

Nam was swarthy skinned with untidy thick brown hair that fell just short of his eyes. His features were angular and he had a strong jaw line which was covered in a day's worth of stubble.

She could not discern much else from him that was not covered by his hair or the flute. She couldn't even guess his build as he was dress in a grey great coat, with these strange bits of fabric over the arms that reminded her a little of Air Nomad clothing. For some reason he had a pair of green tinted square lens goggles hanging around his neck.

While he may not have looked the part of the Air Nomad, the way he played his flute at least fit the part. It had a beautiful calming quality to it that actually helped her calm down a little.

"Nam?" she asked tentatively, she wanted to be sure this was the guy and not some creep she had to kick off the island.

He stopped playing, paused for a second and looked up at her. His eyes were long and dark grey with an intense curiosity in them that reminded her of bird of prey puzzling over its next meal.

Now that his lips were away from his giant flute she saw that his mouth formed a natural pout that would be girly if it did not seem to match the rest of his face. Over all he had an oddly playful look about him that made her feel strangely nervous.

"Are you hear to murder me?" he asked his deep voice more questioning than worried.

"Errr..." she said dumbly, "no Im Avatar Korra," what do you say when someone asks a question like that?

He raised an eyebrow, "Do you always introduce yourself like that?"

She frowned a little, "Not really no," another weird question.

"Good because saying your Avatar Korra defeats the purpose of you being the one and only Avatar," Ok he did have a point there, "can I help you with something lovely Avatar?" he looked down at his flute positioning his fingers in order to start playing again.

Suddenly remembering her all important task she cried out, "The Police are coming for you!" even to herself she sounded over the top. Ikki briefly woke from her nap before falling face first into the Bison's stomach again.

Nam stopped, his flute half way to his mouth and looked back up at her with renewed interest, "Would this have anything to do with the break in last night?"

Korra's eyes widened a little in shock, "How did you know that?" she asked taking a defensive step backwards.

"I have this magic machine call a radio that tells me local news," he replied sarcastic making Korra feel a little stupid, "it also plays music and tells me to buy things.

"Is that supposed to be funny?" she asked feeling her annoyance rise as he continued to speak.

"Of course not," he replied in mock seriousness, "you should never trust a radio, they all have their own agendas!"

Korra folded her arms in front of herself in annoyance, "This is not a joke!" she half growled at him.

"Oh you're just missing the punch line," he joked flashing her a large mischievous grin that made Ikki and Meelo look tame by comparison, "try to see the fun in things, it helps."

"Does it protect you from Metalbenders?" she asked pedantically, she may as well fight fire with fire.

"No but it's worth a shot," he said shrugging, "if not then I'll throw my flute at them."

"Oh no no no," Korra said at once bending down to get in his face, "Tenzin sent me to make sure there was not fighting, so there will be no fighting."

He smiled slyly at her, in response, "Who said I would fight them," he reasoned in mock defence, "is my flute now a deadly weapon?"

"The way you play it, ye." Ok it was a little mean but this guy was so smug and laid back she felt like taking him down a notch.

Suddenly Nam was up on his feet, he was still smiling but now it looked more like he was hungry for something. He was taller than her, around the same height as Mako. Though he seemed a little broader threw the chest and shoulders, though that could just be the jacket.

She found herself backing away a step, there was something intimidating about that look on his face. It did not look entirely sane to her.

"What was that about my flute playing?" something in his voice made the hair on her neck stand on end.

Nothing was wrong with it really but she had this uncontrollable desire to get under this guys skin, "Hey I'm sure they don't mind it up in Temple City with all that space to get away from you. Though I'd love to know how you stop them from kicking you off a mountain and bringing peace to the world again."

One of his eyebrows rose at that, it seemed she'd impressed him, "Ok Avatar Korra," she got the feeling she'd earned a nickname, "what are you here for? This is fun and all but I have the feeling your here for something else than my enriching conversation?" he emphasized the word "_enriching_" in a way that made a shiver a little.

Korra knew that Lin and her police would only be a short while away so she decided to be direct, "Nam, Tenzin sent me to..."

"It's Nam-kha," he interjected casually.

She felt herself clench her jaw and continued from where he had cut in, "...to make sure you don't do anything stupid when Chief Beifong comes to talk to you." she noticed a slight twitch in his right eye when she mentioned Beifong.

He stood in shock for a moment his mouth slightly open before quiet suddenly he grinned far more brightly at her "Brilliant," he said and suddenly he began to take off his massive coat.

"What are you doing?" Korra asked frowning at him as the threw down his coat revealing a long sheave grey shirt stretched over a muscular torso. The shirt had several odd clasps and straps around his wrists and shoulders. Not that she cared, the guy was surprisingly buff for an honorary Air Nomad.

He tightened the straps on his wrists and pulled on a pair of grey leather gloves from his back pocket before answering, "Chief Lin Beifong and I have a history and I've been inching for a chance to get back at her."

Korra felt a bit of panic rising in her chest, Tenzin had asked her to keep him out of trouble not get him pumped for a rematch with Beifong. "No!" she shouted standing front of him as if to block him from the still absent Beifong, but what the hell she was getting desperate.

He frowned at her looked a little amused, "No?" he said questioningly, 'yes, I'm not passing this up."

"Well you're going to have to," she replied leaning forward a bit to get her point across better, "I mean what's your problem don't you want to help catch a criminal?"

He gave her an impatient look, like she was pointlessly taking up her time, "As fun as that sounds Avatar Korra," he replied mockingly as he fitted his goggles over his eyes making him look oddly menacing, "unless you plan on taking me down yourself this conversation has become pointless."

With that bomb shell he turned his back on the most powerful bender on the planet and started stretching casually. As if the police weren't about to drop from the sky and mess up his day, or rather give him a reason to mess up his own day.

She felt something snap inside her head, she didn't know what it was about this guy that got to her so much but now she wanted to smash those stupid green goggles. And if his face happened to be in them at the time all the better.

She slammed her foot into the ground making a column of earth rise suddenly under Nam's stupid feet. The goggled freak went flying, ten...twenty feet into the air before he began to fall. She began to feel a little guilty an till Nam turned gracefully in mid air and landed in a gentle crouch just in front of her earth column

He stood slowly rolling his shoulders back and smirking at her, "Does this mean were playing now?" he asked a sly note of excitement coloured his voice very different from when he had spoken about Beifong.

"If I have to fight you to stop you then ye," she took an Airbending stance, she didn't want to hurt the guy...too much.

Nam grinned widely at her and looked up at the sky behind her. Looking back Korra saw a police airship in the distance and it was approaching fast. She felt a little relieved that he would soon be off her hands, though she still wanted to punch him in the face at least once.

"Ok," he said cheerfully bouncing on the spot, "here's the game. You have an till Beifong gets here to take me down. You win I come quietly and will act the humble citizen."

"And if you win?" she had to ask...

His grin turned a little evil, "Apart from my fun with Beifong hmmmm...a kiss." He gestured flamboyantly at his own lips to make his point clear.

"What!" she yelled in outrage, no believing where this was going and hating the small blush that she felt creep onto her cheeks.

"A kiss, from you that is if that was not obvious," Ok now that smile was making her a little uneasy and queasy, "I'm not hearing a no yet."

She quinced a little at the concept, apart from the fact she was dating Mako the idea of kissing this guy was not appealing. He was handsome she would not deny it, but he was also crazy. He was willing to attack a police force made up mainly of Metalbenders with nothing but his own fists and a bamboo flute.

She had to subdue him or risk letting Tenzin down making herself look incompetent. Plus she realised with a small smile, what chance did he have against her.

"Ok," she said smugly, thrusting her right palm forward and sending a massive blast of air striate for the idiot's chest.

Nam was sent flying backwards and would have been sent across the training ground if at the last second he hadn't turned in mid air and grabbed hold of the newly risen chunk of earth.

Realising she had been played Korra slammed her foot into the ground bringing up a large chunk of earth and sent it flying at Nam with a right hook.

But this guy was good, using the column as launching platform Nam leap over her chunk of earth with ease. When he hit the ground he rolled to his feet quicker than blinking and darted for her.

Wanting to keep her advantage Korra dived to the left and out of his reach. Landing on her hands she swung her legs around and summoned a wave of fire hoping to trip him up. She failed however for as if they had practised it he leapt cleanly over the swirling flames and landed just short of the tail end, not evebn breaking his stride.

She had to admit he was better than she would have thought, he moved like a predator. But there was something about the way he moved that was a little familiar.

She soon regretted her moment of admiration however as it allowed him to get far too close to her. Swinging wildly with her left arm she tried to stop him with another wave of fire but he swerved out of her way with such easy it was insulting.

He kept close to her after that, playing with her! Whenever she turned to strike he shifted out of the way like he was in sync with her attacks. Even when she swung wildly at him with a spinning kick enhanced with the wind and he just moved with it seeming to move with the attack, swirling around to punch her in her right side.

The force of his block was like being kicked by Naga, she had no way of staying on her feet as the blow lifted her into the air and she was forced to use Airbending just to stay close to the ground.

Growing angry at the ease with which he was playing with her she charged him again with a furious barrage of close range bending attacks mixed with conventional ones, trying as hard as she could to get the upper hand for even a second.

It was when she was thrown down after a stupid attempt to elbow him from behind that she realised she recognised his movements. She had practised them repeatedly with Tenzin. He may not be a real Air Nomad, but he had trained like one.

His movements were just like Airbending forms, smooth and precise. Letting the attack come rather than stopping it all together. The only difference was that he had fused the ancient style with more modern styles that allowed him to land sudden powerful blows that would have had a lot of lesser benders on the ground by now.

Well...on the ground permanently not like she was now.

Fight a blush she stood slowly approached him in a sideways curve, walking smoothly around him like she would in her Airbending training. When they connected it was hand to hand and it was on her terms. They dodged around each other for while sinking into the motions, she would learn his method then chrush him with it.

He threw a punch she ducked right under it. She tried to trip him he simply moved with her. She quickly learnt his rhythm, where he placed his feet, when he moved, how he shifted his stance when she went for him. They continued an till she saw her opening.

Adding a little fire to her next attack she got Nam to dodge more widely and just as he placed his foot exactly as she knew he would she shifted the earth beneath his feet. He tripped, not violently, but just enough for her to turn, bring both hands together in a swirling motion and send a sent a funnel of air striate into Nam's chest.

This time he really did go flying, straight into the turning gates. He disappeared from sight as the gates swallowed him out of sight. Korra knew she should not feel good about beating him but hey the guy was jerk and as the Avatar she thought it was her civic duty to deal with jerks.

After a few seconds one of the outer gates turned and Nam swaggered out looking happier than ever. His face had taken on an almost manic look and Korra's good feeling seemed to dissolve out of her. Something told her she had just made this worse.

"Well then," he said panting slightly, gesturing dramatically with his arms as if to present himself, "let us finish this Avatar Korra. I have a new erg to win those lips now!"

He charged at her running so fast Korra took a step back. He seemed different this time, more serious and she did not want him any closer to her than she could help. She may have the advantage of bending, but he was a lot bigger and stronger than she was.

Wanting to stop him she sent two blasts of fire at him making sure they were large and powerful enough to at least slow him down. She didn't know how but Nam seemed to just side step them, missing the flames by a finger breadth. It was like he had no fear or he did and the fear of the flames was just egging him on further.

Panicking a little she bent the ground under his down into a six foot pit but all he did was roll to the side and continued his charge. In one last effort she tried the same blast of air trick she had used on him before but this time he was ready. He slid under the funnel and as she was preparing the bend him fully into the ground Nam sprung up and kicked her in the chest with both feet and knocking her off her feet.

She hit the ground hard, rolling as best she could to get back up and keep some distance between them. This time Nam did not just duck and weave out of the way. He came at her head on, first hitting her with four quick jabs that felt like hammer blows on her arms that she was forced to put up to defend her face. Taking advantage of this he quickly grabbed her arms and yanked her towards him so hard her feet came off the ground.

She momentarily lost her sense of up and down as her forehead came into contact with Nam's. It felt like getting hit by wall, a wall that was flying at you. It took her what felt like forever just to stagger to her feet.

At least Nam was being a gentleman and not going after her when she was down. The world would just not stop spinning and her hearing was not working properly.

Still dizzy she tried to hit him with a few wild fire blasts but with no luck. He dodged them like they were nothing and in all honesty they were the way she was throwing them. Eventually she tried an ill conceived kick, she knew at once that it was a mistake but damn it she wanted to hit this guy.

Faster than blinking Nam dunked under her leg and kicked the second one out from under her. She hit the ground yet again, she franticly tried to get back up but as she did something very heavy landed hard on her stomach.

Nam smiled down at her from his new position on her chest, "So are you against or for open mouth?" his voice sounded so casual when he said that that she wanted to rip off his goggles and shove them into his mouth...and then punch him. Oh how she wanted to punch him just once.

"When I get my hands on you!" she growled at him struggling as hard as she could, trying to get free. How could a guy that moved so gracefully weigh so much.

"Wow you're eager, I like it!"

"GAHHHHH," she screamed when she realised could not get free, "stop talking!"

"So you like your men handsome yet silent, am I right?" Nam said with an evil smirk on his face.

"Just get off me!" she was not going to give him more ammunition than he already had.

He made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a bark, "Nailed it," she was going to strangle him, "well no matter your type, a deal is a deal and I will now be claiming my reward."

As he Nam leaned in Korra was ashamed to say she whimpered a little. She was just about to be defiled when she heard a whipping sound and the chink of metal.

For once Nam was not smiling, for a split second he looked like he was dreading something very uncomfortable. Korra actually felt offended for a moment an till Nam was yanked sharply off her into the air.

Someone helped her up who she was glad and a little embarrassed to see was Mako, "Are you all right?" he asked, his worry clear on his face as he gently massaged her arm.

"Ye," she said groggily shaking her head to clear her vision, "ye Im fine what took you so long?"

He smiled in relief making her smile a little in spite of her aching head, "Good I was worried, the Chief was talking about this guy on the way."

Korra looked over at Nam who was being suspended in mid air in front of Beifong who was jabbing her finger in his face and was saying something that seemed to be boring him as he wasn't even looking at her.

"He's just some freak with a death wish," she said surprising herself with the amount of spite in her voice, "I let my guard down..."

Mako glared in Nam's direction scowling with more force than she thought was necessary, "Don't feel bad Korra even I heard about this guy back in the day."

"What?" she said in surprise, how had Mako heard of Nam when he had been just a kid.

"A few years back when Boe and I were on the streets," Korra winced a little at the image, "the Triad guys used to moan about a guy call Nam-kha that kept ruining their work. Mostly the Agni Kais but everyone got a bit of his work back then. It didn't last long but the things people said about this guy made your blood run cold."

She frowned a little, she was not found of Nam but she had a hard time imagining him was a villain, "What kind of stuff?"

"I broke things," Nam shouted over with apparent delight in his voice.

Mako's frown deepened, "You put people in hospital!" he said angrily.

"Triads," he replied a dark relish in his voice, "they hurt people if you had not noticed."

"Ye most of them," Mako spat back, "but others were just people trying to stay alive!"

"There are better ways!" from the way Nam said that she could tell that there was more to his past than what she had been told. More than just sheltered half Air Nomad with a taste for combat.

"Enough both of you!" Beifong shouted silencing Mako but making Nam laugh.

"Back to the station Lin?" Nam asked her conversationally, "do you still have my old cell open for me or am I to remain in irons?" the smile he was giving Beifong was half amused half vicious. She had to find out what was going on there!

"We just want to ask you some questions Nam, you don't have to make this harder than I know it's going to be." Beifong's voice was hard yet oddly gentle for her.

"Be glad to," he said in a friendly manner, "just as soon as Avatar Korra and I finish our business."

Lin frowned a little, "Korra what business do you have with him?"

"I have a name."

"Cram it," she snapped at him sounding more like herself, "Korra?"

"It's Nam-kha."

"Shut up!" Beifong and Mako said in unison.

"Korra?" Lin questioned again ignoring a grinning Nam.

Korra felt herself blush again, "It's nothing juts one of his stupid jokes," she was not going to do anything for the goggled freak even if he had won the bet.

"Then I refuse to help in anyway," she could tell from his evil grin that he was perfectly serious.

"Nam!" Lin said threateningly, "don't make this hard on yourself!"

"I have the right to my silence," Nam said in a mock calm voice, "Avatar Korra and I had bet and I will collect or this little event will do little but change my scenery."

Mako turned to her frowning a little, "Korra just give him what he asked for and we can get out of here."

Ok that annoyed her, she loved Mako and all but she hated it when he told her to do anything. In the middle of her irritation she had a sudden idea. She walked over to Nam who was lowered a little so that they were almost face to face. She smiled at him in the most feminine way she could and kissed him on the cheek.

When she broke away she resisted the erg to look at Mako or Beifong who she knew were both open mouthed and gaping at what she had just done. She smiled at Nam who seemed to know what was coming because while he did smile at her he did not for once show any teeth.

It actually looked good on him, smiling like that seemed more honest than his manic grinning. So she felt a little bit guilty when she punched him in the face.

His goggles cracked and flew of his head as he reeled back shaking his head to clear it. Beifong made to pull her away from him but stopped when Nam started laughing.

His long grey eyes looked at her like she was something new and exciting, plus his grin was back and he looked over all delighted, "You are going to be fun I can tell," he said with relish.

"All right get him out of here," Beifong said to her men who began carrying Nam back towards the parked airship. Lin rolled her eyes at her as passed, "come down to the station later, I have a feeling he likes you and believe me we need that."

"Later Avatar Korra," he called after her as he vanished from sight.

As she began walking back towards the Air Temple she paused by Mako who seemed to be frozen in place looking at her. Grabbing him by the shirt she pulled him down and gave him a long hard kiss, on the mouth not on the lips.

As she walked away she called back to Mako, "If you want to think of something to get me for my birthday convince Beifong to let me punch him again!" and she was serious, it had been more fun than the Avatar state.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know I did. I have the next few chapters planned out and hope to have them out over the next few weeks or days if I'm bored enough. Please review the stories if enjoyed it, I do so love to hear your opinions...unless there about my grammar which I have no way of fixing more than I have._

_By the way if you want an idea of what Nam's coat looks like just type, Sharpe Great coat into google. Its a grey version of that._


	3. Chapter 3

****_This chapter took ages, the last two pages went through so many different versions you would not believe. I kept changing my mind as to how I wanted the next part of the story to develop but I know now and from this point on I have no more major plot changes to deel with._

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own the legend of Korra or any of its characters, however Project Nomad is mine and if I see them copying Im suing someone!_

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Difficult Customer**

"So you made a bet with this guy that if you lost to him you would kiss him?" Mako had to go focusing on that one didn't he.

"He didn't say where," Korra said trying to defend herself, "and honestly what were the chances of him getting the drop on me like that?"

Mako just shook his head in disbelief and leaned back against the sleeping Sky Bison's stomach. They had been going over this for almost half an hour and he kept coming back to that point.

"Korra why do you keep making things harder for your self?"

She glared at him, "You try talking to him and not want to punch him in the goggles!" she was dead serious.

"That reminds me," Mako said looking at her strangely, "why are you still wearing those?"

Korra's hand went instantly to the cracked green goggles she was now wearing around her neck, "I won," she said simply, "this is my trophy!"

"Cracked goggles?"

"There mine now I earned them," she said stubbornly.

"It's just weird," Mako said sounding peeved.

She frowned a little, "What's your problem?" she asked getting annoyed.

"You say you hate this guy..." he started but Korra slapped her hand over his mouth to stop him.

She felt a little ill and again, "If you say what I think your going to say your the next one Im punching," she cupped his cheek affectionately and gave him a small smile, "don't worry Mako the last person on earth who could steal me from you is that guy."

"What guy?" asked the suddenly present Ikki, ruining the moment, "And why are you wearing Nam's goggles? Oh and were you guys about to kiss?"

"None of your business Ikki," this had been happening a lot lately, Ikki and Jinora had vanish after waking up and she had stupidly let her guard down.

Ikki gave her the 'that's no fun face' and hmphed at her, "Where did Nam go I can't find him?"

"He's at the police station," Mako answered, as usual sounding a lot more patient with the girl than Korra was in these situations.

"Why?" she asked her big grey eyes like giant saucers of curiosity.

Before Korra could answer with a very helpful and constructive, "Because he's a massive jerk!" landed next to Ikki looking a little out of breath.

"Can't find him..." she gasped, "looked everywhere..."

"Korra said he was at the police station," Ikki said as if it were the most important piece of news in the world.

"You guys know Nam?" Korra asked a little interested.

Jinora was the one who answered, with her hands together in her usual 'this thing is so wonderful voice' "Nam-kha studies ancient Air Nomad practices," she said like she was about to swoon, "he's an embodiment of what it once meant to be a true nomad!"

"Plus he has a cool wooden flute thing," Ikki added ruining Jinora's moment of Hero worship.

"Flute?' questioned Mako.

Korra pointed to Nam's coat which was still crumpled on the ground, on top of which was Nam's bamboo flute which Mako had stopped her from breaking.

Seeing the flute Ikki dived for it, "Mine!" she cried snatching it up and air scootering away.

Jinora glared after her for a moment before turning back to Korra, "So why is he is prison?"

"There juts asking him some questions," she replied shrugging, "did you hear about the break in at Future Industries?"

"There was a break in!" she said in shock answering Korra's question.

She continued, "Someone broke into one of there secret vaults last night, ripped the vault door right off!"

"Was anyone hurt?" she asked looking a little worried.

She shrugged again, "Nothing to major but that's not the weird bit, the thief painted an Airbender symbol on the vault wall before they left!" Jinora gasped which made Mako laugh a little, "What?" Korra asked, irritated that he found this funny.

"Nothing I just don't think the symbol on the wall is anything to worry about," he replied raising his hands in defence.

"How can you say that!" Korra snapped angrily, "If this gets out to the wrong people it could get people to point there finger of blame here!"

"That's half my point!" he snapped back, "Odds are the thief put it there for that exact reason, to make us look in all the wrong places."

He did have a point but it still bugged her, "Seems like an weird place to place blame," she pointed out, a little more calmly, "a group of the most peaceful people on the planet."

"Maybe that was the point," Mako said thoughtfully, "the best kind of distraction is confusion."

"Fake conspiracies are often used to hide the truth," Jinora put in, "Grandpa Aang," she looked at Korra making her feel happier for some reason, "wrote an account of this man named Long feng who tried to make him out as an anarchist to keep the war secret from the Earth King."

"Exactly," Mako said pointing at Jinora like she had just proved his point.

Korra frowned in thought for a bit, she so wanted to believe that it was just some random criminal trying to take the heat off themselves. But why did she have this niggling feeling in her head that was telling her that that just was not the case.

She wished she could talk to Aang about this but she had yet to master the art of calling him out. Maybe later if she flew over to his statue she could get a moment with him...or she could go sit on master Katara, that seemed like it would work just as well...

"It seems to easy," she said at last.

"Sometimes it is," Mako placated.

"For us," she said meaning it as a joke but it came out like she was admitting a painful truth.

Jinora placed a comforting hand on hers and gave her one of her motherly smiles she had inherited from Pema, "Don't worry about it," she said optimisticly, "arguing over it won't help, you should just wait an till you know more."

"Stop making me sound stupid!" Korra complained jokingly ruffling Jinora's hair and making her laugh. She was right of course but she did not feel the need to admit that. After a few more minutes talking Jinora scootered away from them, probably to take Nam's flute from her hyperactive sister,

When she was gone Korra leaned against Mako's chest and rested there enjoying the silence. She did not keep track of the time, she just let herself drift away. She may have fallen asleep at one point, she did not care this was her Korra time...well Korra plus Mako time.

Eventually Mako broke the silence, "It's getting late," he said in a tired voice, "do you want to he down to the station yet?"

Korra looked up and sighed, the sun was beginning to set already, "Why do they even need me?" she complained, "Im no interrogator."

Mako shrugged almost making Korra fall off him, "Chief must have her reason's, she mentioned he was a real pain to question."

She frowned at that, it conflicted a little with what she had been told, "I though she said she had only met him once?"

"No," Mako corrected, "from what she was telling me he was a constant problem when he was last here. He never did anything to serious but he had this thing about sharing information."

"Sounds like a guy to me," Korra grumbled playfully earning her a nudge in the back.

"That better not be directed at me," he said chuckling a little.

"Oh ye," she replied sarcasticly, "your an open book, it's not at all like I had to ask Bolin what your favourite colour was!"

"Ok I get it."

"Or whether you liked my hair up or down."

"I swear you never asked me that!"

"Or if you felt like less of a man having the most powerful woman in the world as your girlfriend!"

"All right that's it," he said diving on her and tickling her sides. She screeched in delight making what must have been some very unladylike like noises at a volume most of the island should have been able to hear.

It turned out this was not the best of ideas as her screeching unfortunately woke there sleeping head rest. The gigantic Bison groaned loudly at being woken up and turned over onto his stomach and onto them...

* * *

They took Naga down to the station, Mako having left his bike there when he took the airship over. Though her rest had helped her clear her head she was still worried about all this and not just because on of her friends was troubled by it.

Maybe it was her Avatar senses kicking in or some kind of female intuition but she could feel something was about to happen. Like a cracked ice berg ready to shatter, you could try to stop in and you could if you knew enough to try. But in the end all you could do is prepare your self and hope that nothing you cared about was damaged.

It did not take them long to get to the station but by the time they did the sun had well and truly set. She hoped she had not left it to long and they had finished already or killed Nam out of shear frustration.

When they arrived an officer was already there to meet them, "Lieutenant, Avatar," he bowed to each of them in turn, "the Chief asked me to bring to striate down when you got here."

As they followed him into the building Korra decided to voice her guess, "He's not cooperating?"

The officer sighed loudly, "He does not like being man handled," he said sounding tired.

"Has he tried to escape?" she asked trying not to sound hopeful.

"No," the officer said also sounding as though he wished he had, "he just likes to...play with who ever is sent to guard him."

"Play how?"

He grimaced, "Play like we had to take extreme measures to make him behave!"

Korra was going to ask what these were but though it would be better to see first hand. She was rewarded with a sight that nearly had her on the floor laughing.

They had been lead to a similar interrogation room that she had been taken to on her first day in Republic city. Only this one seemed a lot more cramped with six people in there not counting her, Mako waited outside. The oddest part however was Nam who was now tied to a metal chair across from Beifong.

He looked oddly at ease for someone who's head, torso, arms, legs and everything else was now bound with metal cables to a chair. He gave her a cheeky smile when she came in and blow her a kiss.

"Korra!" Beifong said in relief, "I hoped you would come."

"Having problems," she threw a dirty look at Nam to show what she meant.

Lin glared at him as well, "He's been testing my restraint," she replied her eye twitching a little.

"Sup," Nam greeted in a mock casual voice.

"Why are you wearing his goggles?" Beifong asked with a raised eyebrow.

"She secretly loves me," Nam supplied at once.

Ignoring him Korra said simply, "My trophy," Lin smiled at her a little.

"Well lets get this over with," she said vacating her chair across from Nam and offering it to Korra.

She frowned at the chair feeling confused, "What's going on Beifong?"

"Korra..." Lin started but Nam cut her off.

"It's my fault really," he said aetiologically, "I felt like we bonded before so I ask the Chief here if the lovely Avatar Korra might not do me the honour of squeezing me for information."

Beifong gave him a sour look, "Ye...that," she turned back to Korra and gave her a sympathetic look, "he promised to answer three questions truthfully if you were here. Just go with it and you can get away from him a little quicker."

"We stay on the same island," he pointed out then made an embarrassed face, "I'm not help am I."

Korra make a noise of irritation and sat as angrily as she could into Beifong's chair. The quicker she did this the quicker she was gone and she could at least avoid this guy.

"All right will you answer any question I ask you truthfully?" she asked.

"Yes and that was a terrible first question," he gave her an evil grin, "just kidding."

Ignoring his bad humour she kept going, "Who robbed Future Industries last night?"

"A girl named Yangchen from Temple city, she usually goes by just Chen," the honesty his voice shocked her a little.

"That's a lye," Beifong said at once, "witnesses said it was a large man that attacked them."

"Then they are wrong or lying," Nam said still quite serious, "Chen is fast and dangerous she could have given them all a shave and they would not have noticed."

Korra was a little taken aback by his forthrightness, he not even smiling which seemed so out of character she was a little worried, "Why did she steal plan's from the vault?" Korra asked finding herself less eager to leave now.

He gave her a scathing look, "Im not going to dignify that with a response," he said cooly, "anyone with half a brain can figure that one out."

He had a point there, anyone with a cause they wanted to fight for wanted to acquire Future industries technology. It could tip the balance in any fight.

"Ok," she said accepting his refusal and turning to speak to Lin, "what else should I ask him?"

Lin put a hand on the table and spoke to the whole room, but looked at Nam, "Asked him how she managed to break through a two foot thick platinum alloy door without explosives?"

Korra looked at Nam who looked at her expectantly waiting for her to repeat the question, "How did she breath through the vault door?" she asked as evenly as she could manage while wanting to strangle him.

"Good question," he said with a slight grin, "she bent it open."

"Ha!" Korra said triumphantly, "No metal bender can bend platinum," everyone knew that.

"I would be clapping if if I hand the freedom to do so," he said sarcasticly, wiggling his fingers for effect, "she is not a Metalbender."

"Then what kind of bender is she?" Korra asked getting annoyed again.

"Is that your final question?" he asked sounding a little disappointed, "You'll find out one way or the other."

"What do you mean?" she asked a tiny feeling of panic starting in her chest.

He smirked at her, "Well the way things are going you are bound to be attacked by her sooner or later. Well that or at least you will be around when she comes to kill me."

Korra stood up suddenly, "What the hell are you talking about?" she yelled at him, making him wince a little, "Stop messing around and just tell us what you know. People have been hurt, people are going to get hurt more if you don't help. But all you can do is joke around!"

Nam was silent for the longest time Korra had seen so far, he did not smile and that mad excited light in his eyes was almost completely gone. He did not look angry, to be honest Korra did not know how to describe his face right now. Was he sad, disappointed or had she just annoyed the humour out of him.

"I have my reasons," he said simply straining at his bonds a little trying to stretch, "to be honest I had to do it this way."

Korra sat down again and gave him a distrustful look, "I find that hard to believe Nam."

He smirked a little but it lacked it former lustier, "I could have done have done this differently," he said genuinely sounding a little ashamed, "but fear can drive you into a corner, if you catch my meaning."

"Your not making any sense," she complained tired of his dodging the issue, "just tell me would you!"

"Avatar Korra," he said proving he was still the same man, "I want to help you, I really do. So I made sure that I would be here as long as possible and that you would be here."

She frowned at what he was saying, "So you've been a joke for show?" she asked almost hopefully.

Now came one of usual grins, "Oh no," he said happily, "Im always like this, tell her Lin!"

She looked Beifong who glared at Nam answering that question at once, "Are you telling us that this Chen person wants you?" she asked shocking Korra who had not thought of that.

"Is that true?" Korra chimed in.

Nam looked a little uncomfortable, "Yes and no," he replied, "Wants is the wrong way to put it. To put it more accurately, she wants me back."

"Back how?" Korra asked still not getting what he was talking about.

"Oh you," he said at once giving me an innocent smile.

As he said that Lin slammed her hand onto the table making Korra jump, "Are you saying your using your self as bait to lure her here!" it was not a real question but Nam nodded anyway.

"She's coming here," Korra yelled in surprise, "WHY?

He actually started laughing then, as if luring her here was the funniest thing in the world. Similar to before his laugh was like a dog barking, it was a short while before he was done, "Sorry," he said calming down, "its just so funny errrrm," he cleared his throat loudly, "she thinks you've arrested me for her crime!" he began to laugh again though luckily less loudly.

"I need to marshal the troops!" Beifong said at once shoving open the door then turning back to the officers, "Keep him here and don't let him go." she rushed off passed a confused looking Mako.

"What did I miss?" he asked stepping into the metal and frowning at Nam.

"He set us up!" Korra said angrily pointing at Nam who looked offended.

"Hey!" he said indignantly, "I did not set you up...well I kind of did. But the point is I set her up, this is a trap. Trust me it's the only way you will be able to catch her."

Korra had had enough of this guy, lunging across the table she grabbed the smiling freak by the shirt and pulled him and the chair forward an till they were nose to nose, "You are going to tell me everything you know about this girl who is coming for you!"

There was no fear on his face, even now when he was tied to a chair and facing her, "You would not believe me if I told you," he said cooly, "and I don't respond well to threats!"

Suddenly wanting to test that theory she let go of his shirt and let him fall forwards. He hit the metal table with a loud thud before falling to his right and hitting the floor. He grunted loudly as he hit the floor and glared up at her with a mixture of anger and what she thought was respect.

"What is she?" Korra asked making her voice as threatening as she could manage.

Just as Nam looked like he was about to answer there was a sudden violent shudder in the air followed by the sound of shattering glass. She rushed outside her metal box to see what had happened.

Have mouth fell open, outside the interrogation room all the windows on there floor had been shattered along with all the lights plugging the corridor outside into near darkness, the only lights left came from outside.

She rushed back inside and turned to Nam who was still on the ground, "What the hell was that?" she asked yanking him back upright.

"Untie me!" he said at once looking a little worried.

"I'll go check it out," Mako whispered in her ear giving a shoulder a quick squeeze, "three of you follow me!" he said to the Metalbenders before he and three of them rushed out of the room. As id on cue Korra felt another shock wave from above.

"Untie me!" Nam yelled at her, he seemed to be on the edge of panicking.

"Why should I?" Korra asked grabbing the from of his shirt and pulling his face closer to hers again, "how can I trust you when you wont even tell me what she is!"

The frustration on his face obvious and he struggled against his bonds, "I will not tied up and left here while our one chance to catch Chen goes out the window!"

"Then tell me," she said seriously letting him drop back onto his chair legs, "tell me and ill let you go."

"Lady Korra," the one remaining officer said pleadingly, "he's to dangerous to let go!"

"Give him a chance," Korra said hardly believing that she was defending Nam but the situation called for it. She looked down at Nam who had calmed down some but was still staring daggers at her, "why wont you tell us?"

He looked away his face hardening, "I promised her when we were children that I would never tell anyone," he said slowly as if just saying that was betraying his old friend, "I don't break promises."

Korra thought about that, about the way Nam had been acting this whole time. Maybe he was a pain in the butt most of the time but he seemed to have another layer in him which she was beginning to think was a very deep sense of honour. Even if he had set her up he refused to break his one promise to her.

It may be a moral grey area but she had to respect him for defending a friend even when he knew she was in the wrong. But...wait if he had manipulated all this, all of them to get them to this point...if he was that smart could he have been trying to tell her what Chen was all along.

What did Tenzin say before about the place that Nam and Chen had grown up. A community made from the descendants of Air Nomads which she had thought was the source of Nam's odd fighting style. But what if...

She looked Nam seriously finally realising the truth, "Nam," he looked at her seriously, no smiles or jokes, just a man defending his people, "I have one question left right?" she asked, he nodded stiffly. For some reason she just knew he would honour there former deal.

"I can't tell you what she is," he said sadly, damn he actually wanted to help her. She could see it in his face, like he was begging her to ask a question that he could answer. One that would tell me what I needed to know.

She knelt slightly in front of him so that they were eye level. His eyes were a dark almost stormy grey, they seemed to almost vibrate with energy. It was possibly those eyes that made her believe the impossible she realised.

"What type of Bender at you?" she asked half hoping that it was not true what she had figured out.

He smiled warmly at her, like she had just lifted a great weight from on top of her shoulders. "Avatar Korra," he said making her almost smile, "I am Nam-kha the first Airbender born from Project Nomad. Now if you please let me help you catch the second."

* * *

_Oh that went so much better than I thought it was going to go. If anyone's interested in the old version of the story Nam keeps his secret for most of the story before finally using it to save Korra's life. but that story is gone now and this si the present story so I hope you enjoy it._

_Its a shame in a way, the old version of this chapter had Chen appear early and kick some ass (if you will pardon my french) I hope I remember my decription of her because it was awesome. I almost feel like cencoring it out just to mess with you all._

_As alway i like reviews as well as wild theories and mad shipping ideas._


	4. Chapter 4

_Ok now get to the violent bit, well violent bit number two there will be more so I guess i should say one of the violent bits. Anyway enjoy this thing I wrote when I was both tired and a bit drunk._

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own the legend of Korra or any of the character's involved in it. If I did you would notice because the clouthing would be more reveiling._

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Hot Air**

"Thank you," Nam said accepting back his his goggles from Korra. He held them up to the faint light coming from the broken windows, examining the cracked lens, "these were hand made and expensive."

Korra just rolled her eyes at him, "Ill get you more goggles just..." she was interrupted by another loud shock wave from above them. This one was much larger actually shaking the floor beneath her, "what the?"

"We have to move," Nam said fixing his goggles I place and walking past her down the corridor, "try to keep up."

She was about to ask what he meant when he suddenly jumped forwards making a wide circle with his right arm. A sphere of swirling air appeared next to him which he threw down and landed on. She gaped at him as Nam air scootered around down the corridor and around the corner, laughing slightly to himself.

"Catch up if you can," Korra called to the confused looking Metalbender standing behind her.

Creating her own air scooter Korra raced after Nam-kha. It took her a bit but she finally found him about two floors up where he stopped win the middle of some metal cubicles. For some reason he was shifting around staring striate upwards.

"There on the roof," he explained as she came to a stop next to her.

"Then what are you waiting for?" she yelled incredulously preparing to blast through and have at her.

"Wait!" Nam said grabbing her shoulder, "listen closely."

"Ok," Korra said impatiently, she was tired of talking and wanted to fight.

"Chen will be carrying a metal Airbending staff," he explained quickly, "Get it from her!"

"Why its just a staff?"

"It's not just a staff," he insisted, "get it from her and we can take her down. Let her keep it and she will rip this building apart trying to get at you!"

Korra felt a small twinge of fear in her chest as she thought that over, "Get the staff...got it," she mumbled, "how exactly?"

He grinned wickedly at her, "This is the part where you will love being on my team, Avatar Korra," she should have guess she was not going to like this next part.

* * *

Instead of blasting through the roof like she had wanted Nam had convinced her to take roof access up. Though she did want to smash her way up and get the jump on Chen he reasoned that it would not work well with his current plan.

Still wanting to give her entrance some impact she kicked the door to the rook open instead of just opening it. What she saw out side made her blood run cold.

The police head quarters' metallic roof had been ripped apart. Two dozen Metalbenders lay unconscious either in large crater like dents in the roof or in piles heaped around the larger gashes in the metal plating. Only Lin, Mako and two Metalbenders were left up and fighting against one opponent.

Chen, for it had to be Chen, move at incredible speed. She was like a tornado, a tornado that jumped around you like a canon ball. It was clear even from a distance that she was dominating the fight. Korra watch as one of the Metalbenders got to close and smacked under the chin by a six foot long metal staff. The poor man was fired into the sky a full twenty feet before falling landing hand on the metal decking.

"Hey Chen!" Korra called not wanting to waist time with Mako so close to her, "missing something?" she through Nam down in front of her. As per his instructions she had bound him round the legs and arms. She had also punched him again, that had not been in his plan but he had complimented her ingenuity.

Hearing her Chen finally stopped for a moment to see what was going on, this finally gave Korra a good look at her. Chen was a tall, slim woman with chin length black hair. From what Korra could see her face had an impish quality to it but she could not be sure as her eyes were covered by a pair of large green goggles. She was dressed in a form fitting grey jacket along with black trousers and pointed leather boots.

Chen's eyebrows shot up at the sight of Nam on the ground in front of Korra, "Nam!" she screamed sounded both angry and horrified.

Following Nam's plan Korra knelt next to him and started a powerful fast burning flame in her hand and held it close to his neck, "Put down the staff!" she ordered praying this would work. Lin, Mako and the last remaining Metalbender formed a circle around Chen blocking her any chance escaping.

"Are you ok?" she called over, her voice was oddly girlish and concerned sounding. It made Korra feel a little guilty, she must have really cared about Nam before all this.

"Im good Chen," Nam replied in an oddly cheerful voice that Korra thought would give the game away. However this seemed normal for them because Chen just laughed at him.

"I was so worried," she sobbed happily pulling down her goggles to wipe tears away from a pair of the largest green eyes Korra had ever seen. They were almond shaped and made her look like a cat, she was surprisingly pretty.

"I know girly I know," Nam called back maintaining the same cheerful tone, "we'll sort this out ok."

"Ok," she sobbed taking a tentative step forwards toward them.

"You didn't have to do all this," he continued in a more serious tone, "weren't we all happy together away from all this?"

_Weren't we all? _Korra thought to herself, how many Airbenders have these people been hiding? She would have to get the truth out of him after this.

Chen looked a little ashamed with herself, "I didn't want to keep hiding," she said through clenched teeth, "I'm an Airbender, were Airbenders! Were not meant to sit on a mountain and wait for the world to be ready for us!"

Nam pushed himself into a sitting position, "And stealing is the way to do that?" he asked angrily.

"Better than sitting around and waiting for you!" she cried back, this felt like a very old argument and even Korra, who had next to no romantic sense in her, could tell that Chen was not just talking about the plight of there people.

"We were waiting for the perfect moment, when there were enough of us to become part of the world again!" Nam explained franticly.

"We can't just wait!" she cried, "We have to take back our place in the world!"

"NO!" Nam shouted so loudly it sounded like it had been magnified and making Chen take a fearful step backwards. Nam sighed at the fear on her face and smiled warmly at her, "just come home Chen," he said pleadingly awkwardly getting to his feet, "everyone misses you. Come home with me and we can make all this right again. Everyone will know about us now, we can be free! Come with me."

A fresh wave of tears began to fall as Chen shook her head, "It's not that easy," she sobbed sounding almost heart broken, "why can't you just come with me?"

To Korra's surprise Nam began removing the cords she had placed around his wrists, "Sorry Chen," he said taking an offensive stand, "I can't come with you and I can't let you make our people the enemies of the world!"

Chen's face hardened, she pushed her goggles back over her eyes and pointed her staff at Nam, "Your coming with me no matter what!" she said defiantly and swung her metal staff up in a sidewards arc and then down in there direction. A blast of air hit both of them sending them flying backwards.

"Korra!" Mako shouted, she saw him leap at Chen's back his fist igniting as he brought it down. However to her horror Chen had some how sensed the attack coming. She flipped side ways out of Mako's way letting him land next to her before spinning on the spot and hitting him square in the back. The air shook around her as Mako when flying in a high arc towards the street bellow.

Korra was about to run to try and save him when she saw Lin jump after him, cables springing from her arms and catching Mako just as her was about to fall out of sight. As she sighed in relief she saw what looked like a streak of grey flying past her. Nam had gone on the offensive.

Chen raised her staff defensively pointing it at Nam as he charged at her. As soon as he was in range she swung her staff around in a wide brutal swipe that caused a wave of air so powerful Korra had to duck under it. Nam however seemed ready for the attack for at the very moment it looked like he was about to be hit by the staff he bent backwards sideways pushing himself under the swing with Airbending before spinning on the spot and kicking her legs out from under her.

Chen did not go down however, she landed perfectly on the tip of her staff and flipped back down sending another wave of air at Nam which he dodged by flipping backwards. As he landed he charged her again this time not dodging the swing of the metal staff. Instead he blocked it with his bare arm.

As staff met forearm it caused a colossal shock wave that almost knocked Korra off her feet and echoed strangely in her ears. They exchanged several more harsh echoing blows an till Nam swept the staff to one side with a well placed kick. It seemed Nam was about to win, an till at the last moment Chen used the momentum of the kick to jump up and deliver her own to the side of Nam's head sending him spinning across the roof.

Korra knew she had to get into the fight, Nam had been right with that staff she was just to dangerous. She spotted the last Metalbender save from Lin who was still dealing with Mako slowly approach Chen drawing her attention. Of the two of them she knew he had more of a chance to get the staff away from Chen so she had to be the bait.

Tacking a running jump Korra brought be leg down in a fiery downwards kick blasting Chen with a wave of fire. The girl looked a little shocked, she had obviously not guess that Korra was the Avatar with her focus on Nam.

Chen deflected Korra's fire with a swing of her staff smiling at her as if to say "Is this all you have?" Korra did not for once let her anger control her. She would not let Chen resume the offensive. She hit her with a complicated series of fire blasts that Mako had taught her, twisted the shoots so that they would strike at her from all angles.

She slowly drove Chen back, the Airbender working hard to deflect all of her blasts of heat. Seeing the Metalbender waiting for the perfect moment Korra decided to take her chance. Breathing deeply she kept up her barrage of fire blast keeping a little bit of the change from each inside her.

Just as Chen swept aside one of her blasts a sideways swing leaving her chest momentarily exposed, Korra released the charge of heat inside her. With both airs she sent a massive burning hot stream of fire striate at Chen's chest.

Chen flinched, instead of taking the blast head on she dodged wildly to the side and landing clumsily on the ground. As she landed her staff was suddenly wrenched out of her hand by the Metalbenders cords.

She was not going to waist a moment, charging the girl Korra tackled her in the stomach forcing her hared onto the ground. As they landed however Chen somehow got her feet onto Korra's stomach and kicked her hard in the stomach with both feet and flinging her back across the roof with with a hard blast of wind.

Rolling back to her feet rushed to rejoin the fight just as Chen pulled her staff from the now unconscious Metalbender. Seeming to want her at a distance Chen swirled her staff around her body creating a series of whipping gusts of air that forced Korra to repeatedly roll out of the way to avoid them.

She forced her way through however meeting wind with wind where she could. Getting within a few metres Korra blasted her with a few shoots of fire which at such close range forced Chen to back up a little swirling her staff to repel the flames.

Taking her chance Korra darted forwards ducking low and spinning on the spot producing a large wave of fire which she sent straight at Chen's feet. Unable to block the attack Chen leapt high arcing over Korra's head.

Korra fired three fire blasts at her trying to knock her out of the air. As she did however Chen twisted in mid air extending a metallic looking fan from from one end of her staff and batting away her flames with easy. Korra readied herself for a new attack but as Chen was about to land Nam appeared out of nowhere kicking her with both legs in her left side.

With a blast of air Chen flew across the roof skidding across the metal plating an till she collided with a ripped up chunk of roof. The girl staggered quickly to her feet and glared angrily at both of them.

This time they attacked together. Moving in sink Korra let Nam take the lead breaking Chen's defence with three air shacking kicks before ducking to the right allowing Korra to leap forward striking her with a blast of fire that hit her in the chest knocking her off her feet.

Rolling to her feet Chen used her fan to hit them both with a massive wave of air. Korra let herself be blown backwards landing on the ground and rolling to her feet. Nam however hand swirled his arms creating a spinning circle of wind around his body allowing him to roll over Chen's attack.

As Korra advanced again Nam was already on the attack going air on air in a dance like battle of the winds. With Chen distracted Korra was able surprise her with her own blast of air which almost knocked her off the roof.

"Arrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhh!" Chen screamed as she charged them leaping high and bring her staff up to attack them. At the last second however there was a whipping sound and Chen suddenly changed direction and being thrown down hard onto the metal plating.

Lin had re-entered the battle and would have ended it if Chen had not quite suddenly extended a blade from the end of her staff and cut the metal cord like it was string.

The three of them bared down on Chen backing her into a corner of the police roof. She glared with hatred at all of them but none more than Nam who she looked at like he had betrayed her at the deepest level.

Korra did not see anything wrong so if Nam had not suddenly shouted, "Get back!" she might have come off worse. Slamming her staff into the roof and let off an ear splitting wave of noise and air knocking her off her feet ripping some of plates off the roof.

Pushing herself back up she only just caught sight of Chen running for the edge of the roof and extending an odd series of large fans along her staff. She had never considered that it could have been a glider, it was made of metal for one.

"Stop her!" she shouted as Chen launched herself into the air riding her glider like a surf board.

Nam charged right by her racing to catch up with the other Airbender but just as he leapt from the ground he was caught in mid air by Lin's cables, "Not so fast fly boy!" she said commandingly.

He thrashed around trying to escape his bonds, "What are you doing, she's going to get away!" he shouted at Lin.

"And your going to stop her alone are you?' she asked pedantically.

"No I thought Id give her a kiss and some congratulations on an excellent attack on a police building," he spat back at her sarcasm dripping from every word.

Lin ignored him, "Korra go check on Mako and the others," she said shocking Korra out of her distracted state.

She rushed over to find Mako unconscious but still breathing. He had a nasty cut on his forehead but he did not look to bad. Kissing him on the lips to comfort both him and herself she checked on all the other injured people on the roof. No one was in a life threatening position so she just checked them all over as they waited to for help.

* * *

It did not take long for medical crews to arrive and air life the Metalbenders and Mako off for treatment. She had wanted to go with him but Beifong had asked her to stay behind to help her with Nam who had not stopped trying to get out of his restraints.

It took a while but she was able to convince him to come with them down into the station to wait for Tenzin who Beifong had call to come and help her figure out what to do with him.

"So he has no idea?" she asked him as they sat in a now heavily guarded waiting room, Nam had been freed from his bindings but still looked like he wanted to bolt.

He grinned half hearted at her, "Sixteen years of keeping the biggest secret in the world and I get outed by one of the people I was trying to protect..." he sounded very bitter.

"How many of you are there?" she asked thinking back to what he had said as he tried to talk Chen down.

He looked at her untrustingly, "I'll tell you when Tenzin gets here," he said at last, "I would rather only betray by people once."

"Isn't Tenzin technically your people too?" she pointed out and regretting it when he glared at her for it, "sorry but your all Airbenders."

"Were not monks!" he said bitterly, "were Nomads."

"Is that why you kept it a secret?" she asked tentatively, he nodded, "I don't think Tenzin would force you to become monks."

"It's not something I like to risqué..." he sighed hanging his head.

Wanting to get his spirits up she slapped him hard on the back, it worked on everyone else, "Hey don't be so down," she said cheerfully.

"Wow?" he said slowly like she was an idiot.

She had top think for a bit before it hit her, "Think how happy the world is going to be that there are a bunch of new Airbenders out there!"

"Well done your trying to cheer me up by reminding me I have failed in my life long mission to remain a secret," he said sarcasticly, though he did sound a little more like he had before.

They sat in silence for a while waiting for Tenzin to come chew Nam out. During that time Korra learnt one important fact about Nam, he could not stay still for more than a minute. While they sat there Nam did eight laps of the room, did a weird Airbending trick with some marbles that Korra made him show her and randomly annoyed the officer by the door by flicking things at different bit of his armour to check how the sound carried. A concept he said he explain later.

Wanting to keep him occupied Korra decided to ask something that she had wanted to asked since the crime scene, "Why was Tenzin so protective of you?" she asked, making him stop on his ninth rotation around the room.

"What?" he asked sounding a little confused.

"At Future Industries," she explained, "Tenzin sent me over to make sure you stayed safe."

"Failed," he said grinning wickedly at her.

Korra glared at him, "I just want to know what has him so sweet on you?"

"He told you about the little sub Nomad commune thing we have up north right?" he sat down next to her and leaned forward on his knees.

"Ye," she said then remembered something weird, "what did you call it before in the cell, you gave it a weird name?"

"Project Nomad?"

"Ye that," she agreed remembering the way he had said it, she had payed it so little notice before but now that she did it sounded so strange to her, "weird name for a town."

"It's not a town," he chided, "it's more like a small community on a mountain."

"And Aang stared it?" she asked wanting to get all of the facts striate.

"Avatar Aang," he corrected raising a finger as if it was a mistake she should not be making, "if you feel the need to be called Avatar Korra then he was Avatar Aang."

"Hey its my choice how I choose to call him!" she said angrily.

He smiled a little, "We'll I knew him better that you did so I don't expect you to understand."

"What do you mean knew him better, I am him!" she complained.

He gave a look up and down that made her feel a little uncomfortable, those eyes of him looked right through you. "Your cuter," he said at last catching her off guard. So much so in fact that she almost forgot his comment about knowing Aang better than her.

She was about to ask Nam about it when Tenzin walked into the room, his stern "I am so disappointed in you" plastered all over his facer.

Nam did not seem to recognise this as at the sight of Tenzin he cracked a wide grin and leaned casually back in his chair, "Tenzin," he said joyously though she felt she could hear a note of panic in his voice, "lovely for you to come, did you hear the news Korra broke my goggles."

"Why?" he asked sternly, he did not seem angry just...she did not know what really.

Nam's smile faded into a rather cold look, "You know why!" he said darkly.

"No I don't," Tenzin said sadly, "I can't understand why you would have kept this hidden from us."

"From who?" Nam asked a note of anger creeping into his voice.

"Us!" Tenzin bellowed in anger his robes air whipping around them from his anger, "your people!"

Nam stood angrily sending a wave of wind at Tenzin which almost nocked him over, "You are not my people!" he yelled furiously, "And if Chen had not gone and done this you would never had known about us!"

"Nam!" Korra yelled running after him as he walked towards the door, she stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, "this is not helping!"

He looked back at Tenzin who still seemed to be in shock that someone had just Airbended at him that was not one of his children, "Get me out of here Tenzin," he said coldly, "there are children in the North I need to save." and with that he walked out pushing past the officer at the entrance.

Korra walked over to Tenzin and put a hand on his arm, "Come on," she said comfortingly pulling his arm a little to get him moving, "he's leaving already."

He looked down at her sadly, eyes full of pain, "I don't know what to do Korra," he said, "I never believe it could really happen..."

"Well it has," she said bluntly making him smile a little, "do what I do, roll with it!"

"Roll with it?" he questioned raising an eyebrow at her.

"He's an Airbender," she said simply, "we can't change that. I'm guessing you don't want to change that so..." she trailed off shrugging a little.

"I know your right," he admitted sounding tired, "I just..."

"Are you two coming?" yelled Nam from outside, "You did hear me when I said there are children in danger, right?"

"We heard you!" Korra shouted back hoping he had not ruined her progress with Tenzin.

There was a pause before he called back, "Remind me later to tell you what a rhetorical question is, now bring out the old guy and lets get moving!"

"I'm coming now," Tenzin said at once his tone dignified once again and his back straitened, he looked down at Korra and smiled slightly, "come on before he causes more problems."

* * *

_Yah Im done with this bit, good because now I get to the fun bits. As always reviews are apresiated and enjoyed and for those of you wondering were Bolin is that will be addressed next chapter. He would have appeared sooned but having him and Nam-kha in the same room seemed dangerous. By the way tell me if you want to know what Nam's name means it took me ages to find a name that fit him._

_**Next Time:** We see the fall out of Chen's attack on Police Headquarters and Nam reveils more about the new generation of Airbenders!_


	5. Chapter 5

Ok its been a while since I was last writing this but Im back and its time for more Namilious action. I though I would take a moment to point out where this story takes place. Im thinking of it being after the up and coming book 2 that i know were all itching for. Anyway enjoy the lunitic based on myself.

**Disclaimer**: Don't own Korra or her legend so please dont sue me.

* * *

**Chapter 5 – House Arrest**

Korra was hardly surprised when Beifong decided that Nam-kha. A formerly secret Airbender from Temple City and public menace. Was to be confined to Air Temple island an till further notice.

They were all told this during their police escorted drive down to the docks after which they had to endure no less than seven escape attempts by Nam. The last of which ended with him being tied up again. Much to his annoyance and Korra's as she was stuck sitting next to him.

When they FINALLY got to the docks Korra left them taking a glider from one of the Air Acolytes on their ship and took flight heading towards Republic Central Hospital and she knew Mako.

As she flew over the city Korra was struck by the number of fires she could see. She guessed that everyone had heard what had happened over at police head quarters and many were taking advantage.

As she approached the Hospital district she began her decent passing by several apartment windows. What happened next happened almost faster than she could react. Just as she was passing the eight floor of the apartment building opposite Central Hospital one of the apartments exploded .

The force of the blast was so great that it sent her flying sideways almost colliding with the building across the street. She managed to re verse the air flow behind her creating a momentary cushion to stop herself in mid air. It was only then that she noticed the destruction the blast had caused.

Not only was the fire from the blast seemed to be quickly spreading throughout the complex. But even Korra who knew nothing about building construction could see that the upper floors were destabilising.

She did not even have to think about it, Mako was in no immediate danger but the people in that building were. Using both fire and Airbending Korra shot herself into the building, landing in at the source of the blast.

Bending water from the pipes that ran through the building she doused all the flames in the ruined apartment. It was quick work but she knew it would not be the end of it. She quickly dashed into the corridor to see what other work she had to do.

As she entered the flaming corridor however her ears her pieced a horrible sound, like metal and stone grinding together. She looked up and had to catch her breath, a huge crack had appeared across the ceiling above her and seemed to be slowly spreading.

She could not worry about the building now. She had to get everyone out of here and an quickly as possible.

Running to the end of the corridor and leapt up the stairs bending her way up more than anything. The damage was even worse up here with several of the doors blocked by falling debris and people stumbling dazed through a ruined corridor than was beginning to catch on fire.

"Everyone out!" she shouted and began push what people she could towards the exit. When they were on their way she began lifting and bending the debris from in front of peoples doors. It was slow work and she knew there was another floor above this one possibly in worse condition.

It took maybe ten minutes to get everyone off the ninth floor and that was time she could not spare. When she came to the tenth floor stair case she felt her heart drop into her stomach. It was almost completely gone, there was no way she could get anyone off the top floor and...the top floor.

With a new idea forming in her head she leapt the gaping hole that used to be a stair case and landed on the top floor almost colliding with one of the four dozen people clustered in a panicked crowd in the corridor.

"Everyone quiet down!" she yelled over the crowd enhancing her shout with Airbending. It took a moment but finally she got them to shut up and listen, "the stair case is down and..."

"We know that!" shouted someone from the back of room, unhelpfully.

"...and it's not safe to take you down one by one." a small ripple of panic went through the crowd, "SO!" she continued, shouting to be heard, "I'm going to take you to the roof, were going to try and get the attention of an airship but if that does not work I will take you down individually."

More panic from crowd, "That's too dangerous!" some shouted.

"Why can't you just take us down the stairs?" someone else.

"Who's the handsome Airbender?" this one came from...right next to her!

Looking to her left she felt herself jump out of her skin. Nam was standing next to her, grinning smugly in his big grey coat and his cracked goggles hanging around his neck. He had a large glider hanging on his back on a thin strap.

"WHEN DID YOU GET HERE!" she shouted at him so loudly she was scared she had damaged the building further.

"I followed you," he replied that stupid grin still plastered all over his face.

"But..." she was almost at a loss for words, "your under house arrest, they had you tied up!"

For some reason he seemed to find this funny, "Really. That's what's important to you right now. How I escaped?"

Feel a knot of pain start in the centre of her forehead Korra pressed her palm against the spot hoping that would ease the pain more than punching him again, "Ok, ok let's just get these people out of here then I can deal with you."

"Oh so you did notice the crowd of terrified civilians being slowly cooked in front of us," the pain in her forehead seemed to tighten somehow.

"Shut up," she said actually clapping a hand over his mouth, "and follow my lead."

"As you command Avatar Korra," he fell in behind her as she began making her way through the crowd.

The roof access was away from the main apartments, positioned down another smaller corridor off to the side out of sight. It was locked shut but it was nothing Korra had not broken down before. Surprisingly Nam was actually quite helpful in getting everyone out of the top floor and onto the roof, even using his newly stolen staff to Sheppard them out, though he seemed to enjoy it too much.

Once she had made sure everyone was safely up on the roof, which was as stable as she had hoped it might be, she turned back to check on Nam. Who for some reason was now heading back into the building.

"What are you doing now?" she asked grabbing his arm to stop him, she was surprise momentarily at how soft the fabric of his jacket was and how sharply it contrasted with the hard muscle she could feel in his upper arm.

He look down at her impatiently, "I'm going to check if anyone is still inside their apartments, some people may have been too scared to move."

"That's my job!" Korra protested, "I'm the Avatar, you should stay up here and try and get the attention of an airship."

He raised an eyebrow questioningly at her, "And how do think I should do that do you think? Firebending? Earthbending? Or seeing as I can do neither of those very flashing forms of bending I could stand over there and shout really loud?"

Seeing the sense in his argument, though not in his sarcasm, she released his arm and glared at him though she could not help the small smile that spread across her face, "You know there were a lot of shorter was of saying that," she said trying to match his amazing ability to mock peoples very existence with just a few words, she failed.

"Indeed," he replied grinning at her, fixing his cracked goggles to his flushed face, "I rejected them all!" and with that he vanished back down into the crumbling building, "Come on then!"

Face palming at how ridiculous one of the last Airbenders in the world was. She turned away from his direction and back to the innocent people in danger.

She searched the cloudy smoke streaked sky for a sign of an Airship, police or otherwise. She felt herself relax a little when she spotted the fog lights of a civilian cargo ship slowly making their way through the clouds not too far away.

Spinning quickly on the spot twice over she used her right leg to churn up a good hot flame and with an upward thrust of her arms sent it near on a hundred feet into the air. If they did not see that then no one did, but to be on the safe side she kept on sending up similar blasts to really get the message across.

It worked. The ship seemed to get the message because it began to descend out of the clouds...on fire. For one wild second Korra was scared she had accidentally set the poor ship alight when she was signalling. But a quick reality check made her realise that one she ship had been too high and too far away and oh TWO the ship was on fire and slowly descending into a nearby building.

"What did I miss!" cried a familiarly annoying voice from behind her. She turn quickly to see Nam running over, dumping the poor mother and two child unceremoniously on the roof as he went.

"Is that all of them?" she asked running to meet him.

"I hope so because we seem to have an even bigger problem right now," his face was covered in soot save for a patch were his goggles were. This made that wide eyed look of shock and what she could only guess was amusement seem really funny to her, despite the situation.

Shaking herself again to bring her back to this ridiculous situation she looked wildly from the people she had to help and the slowly crashing airship. She could not do both and she was running out of time.

She turned desperately to the lunatic she had been saddled with, one that she had punched multiple times over the last few days. He was her only hope, "Nam..." she pleaded hopelessly feeling the weight of the situation finally crashing down on her.

He looked her seriously, the change in his features when he did this was amazing. There was a feline quality to his features that made him look just that little bit alien and his eyes...no normal person should have those eyes. Iron grey and focused that bore through her like a drill.

"This building will collapse soon and only you can save everyone," he said giving her a small reassuring smile, "I've got the air ship."

As he darted past her unfurling his glider she called out to him, "What will you do?" she was surprised by the worry in her voice.

He turned back to her for just a second and gave her his usual absurd grin, "Drop it in some water no one using," and like that he was gone, flying faster than anyone she had ever seen away from her and towards the flaming air ship.

She watched after him as long as she dared before turning here attention back to the people than needed her. Reaching into herself she called on the power and wisdom of a thousand ages. Every life she had live, every will bent towards helping people she summoned it now.

Separating the roof cleanly from the rest of the building she lifted it, herself and the crowd of people she had saved high into the air. She could barely hear the sound of their panicked voices over the roaring winds that encircled them keeping everyone fixed to the roof.

They floated slowly away from the slowly crumbling apartment building and down onto the street bellow. She felt the power slowly reseed from her body as she let it flow back down into the ancient depths of her being.

She sighed wearily to herself and gave herself a smug mental pat on the back. She began moving among the crowd of civilians many of whom had made their way out of the building from the lower safer floors.

Fire fighters were getting the building under controlled it seemed, throwing up earthen supports to keep the building stable and the searched for the people Nam missed. Nam...she hoped the idiot was ok. She had never tried to fly an air ship and she had a feeling Nam had not either.

That would have to wait however as with the police now arriving, in what she learnt was a reasonable time of two minutes. She had an injured boyfriend to visit.

* * *

Find Mako was no problem, when you're the Avatar people tend to run around making sure you're well informed. A kind old Waterbender that looked like a decrepit version of master Katara pointed her in the right direction.

Mako was on the officers' floor, reserved for the police force and the army. When she got there however she was shocked to find Mako was not alone.

"Korra!" Bolin cried running over to her from a disgruntled Mako's and gripping her by both arms, "Help he please! Mako has brain damage, he thinks he was attacked by an Airbending ninja and was saved buy some kind of Airbending pirate!"

"I did not say that!" Mako complained gripping his bandaged covered head, though probably not because his injury hurt.

"Oh thank bending his mind is coming back," Bolin finally let her go and flopped tiredly onto the room's leather sofa. He was dressed in his training gear so she imagined he had run over here from the gym.

Mako shook his head in exasperation, "No Bolin they were Airbenders but not a ninja or a pirate!"

Bolin groaned loudly, "But that's what you just said," he replied petulantly, "listen brother if you're going to go crazy then please do it consistently!"

"All I said was she came at us like a ninja, I don't know where you got the pirate thing from!"

Korra laughed a little at the two of them, relieved Mako was ok, "To be fair Mako," she cut in playfully, "Nam does look a little like a pirate."

"You're not help helping," he said in a moody voice but his expression said he was happy to see her. She walked over and gave him a brief kiss as Bolin processed what she said.

"Wait, wait, wait," he said waving his arms in a stop that right now motion, "are you saying there was a pirate and a beautiful ninja assassin. WHAT DID I MISS!"

"A lot really," she said laughing at the image he had created, "and sorry Bolin no ninjas, no pirates. Just Airbenders."

He sat there with his mouth wide open and his face stuck in a shocked expression. Finally he turned on Mako peevishly and cried loudly, "Why could you not just say that? All that stuff about ninjas and flying pirates, I thought you had gone mad!"

Choosing to ignore him Korra returned to her infirmed boyfriend, "You alright?" she asked trying to keep the worry from her voice.

"Ye just a bad smack on the head," he said giving her arm a reassuring squeeze, "there just making a big deal out of all this cause of how it happened."

"Ye," she replied, "I couldn't believe it when I saw her, both of them, Airbending. How do you think they were able to keep themselves hidden so long?"

"Is this the magic Airbenders again?" asked Bolin unhelpfully.

"Ye Nam and this girl," she replied going over the details in her head, "Nam even said there a load more in hiding up at Temple city."

"Who's Nam?" he was looking really put out that he seemed to have missed all the fun.

"The Airbender on our side," she said at once smiling a little.

"That's a little debatable isn't it," Mako cut in, she gave him a questioning eyebrow raise which must have looked a lot fiercer than she had meant it because he threw up his hands in defence the second she did it, "I'm just saying he has a bad rep and one good act does not make up for it."

"He just helped me pull a bunch of people from a burning building!" she cried a little angry.

"What!" Mako yelled in surprise.

"Seriously what did I miss?" Bolin cried.

"Just one of the most brilliant things you have ever seen!" ok this voice was new.

She did not know why she turned her head to check, only one person she knew sounded that naturally smug. Nam-kha had walked in, coat gone, half blackened by soot, half soaking wet and looking like he had recently been on fire.

"The ship is safe," he proclaimed theatrically, "and all it took was the loss of my coat, the goggles you broke, some of my hair (which was still sticking up), the home of some now very angry turtle ducks and a bush which I think had a hobo living in it. He has what's left of my coat..."

With that tirade over with Nam keeled forwarded and collapsed unconscious on his face.

Bolin, speechless again was looking from Nam, to her, to Mako, to the window where she could just make out the now no longer burning building and back to Nam who she was now worrying looked a little dead.

"Seriously what did I miss!"

* * *

**Next Time**: More friction between Tenzin and Nam, can Korra help...doubt it really.


	6. Chapter 6

_Bit of a filler one this time but no less important. I know people usually want just action and amazing romance scenes but I find that the chapters set inbetween these moments are just as important and are needed to break up the story. Feel free to review if you wish I welcome your opinions. Enjoy this latest from Project Nomad._

**Disclaimer****: **I do not own Korra or any of her juicy assets by which mean characters or setting. Everything else is mine.

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Tensions in the Air**

Korra was awoken for the second time this week to the sound of shouting Airbenders. Nam-kha and Tenzin had been at each other's throats every hour of every day since Nam had been confined to the island.

Despite this they never seemed to get any of their issues resolved. The argument went something like this; Tenzin wanted to bring Nam and the other hidden Airbenders from Temple City into the Airbending monk community. Nam would then call Tenzin a fool stuck in the past and refused to reveal the location of his "kinsmen" till he was free to get them himself.

Tenzin would then beg Nam to consider the future of the Air Nomads. Nam would then declare himself as the future of the Air Nomads and Tenzin as a bald remnant of a culture that got its self slaughtered.

They had nearly gotten into a fight over that one and surely enough...today seemed to be the same.

"The Water Tribe is in two halves, three if you count the foggy swamp lot. Why can we not be the same?" that was Nam.

"There are not enough of our people to risk segregation," Tenzin she guessed... "we must present a united front if we want to rebuild our nation."

"I'm not a monk!" shouted Nam, wow...you don't say, "I don't want to live on a rock somewhere chanting about how free I am. I want my freedom, I want to live the life of a true Nomad and without joining the arrow club!"

"The arrow is sacred!" wow Tenzin sounded mad, "a mark of our civilisation for thousands of years."

"Another relic I don't want!"

"One that you haven't even earned!"

"You know nothing about what I have earned, what I have gone through in my life while you've lived here on your island the darling of the world. I..." they must have moved out of ear shot because she did not catch the next bit.

Korra rolled tiredly onto her back and sighed. Nam was right about one thing, they knew nothing about Nam's life or the other Airbenders. She had lived her life out in the open since she was a child, she had always known she was the Avatar.

What must it have been like to live your life hiding the most important part of yourself? She could not even imagine it, both for herself and for someone like Nam. Since coming to the island there didn't seem to be a single thing he did that did not involve bending.

He even refused to use doors sometimes, preferring windows several of which were closed. He even refused to sleep where they had put him. No one was where he slept Ikki had guess it was near the Bison stables.

Resolving to speak to Nam later when she was truly awake, she rolled back over onto her side and dozed off back to sleep.

* * *

Pema was the one to wake her up a few hours later, not letting her sleep past mid day. She led her still half asleep out of her room and through the women's dormitory. They walked slowly as baby Rohan was clasped tightly on her left hip.

"I take it you heard them going at it again this morning," her voice was jovial but there was a note of worry underneath it that worried Korra a little.

"Ye it's getting worse," Korra groaned back, "how bad did it get?"

Her question was answered as they passed out of the dormitory and into the courtyard. One of the large white walls that made up the main building now had a large almost perfectly round hole blasted through it.

"...h...how...?" she tried vaguely.

Pema sighed, "Tenzin became overly insistent," she said sadly, "that's just one part of it the damage they did. It will take weeks to get the kitchens back in order."

"I guess there's no chance of Nam helping with that?" she did not know why but she felt like what ever Nam did wrong was her fault. That was going to get old really quickly.

Pema's face morphed at once from a weary expression to what Korra had come to think of her "I'm so sick of Airbenders" expression. "He promised to clean up everything that he didn't think was Tenzin's fault..." she practically growled through clenched teeth, "he hasn't done anything!"

"Do you want me to try and talk to him," a lost cause she knew but it was rare to see Pema this irritated.

"Be my guest," she sighed raking a hand worriedly through her greying hair, "just don't get your hopes up."

Feeling a little challenged Korra crossed her arms proudly across and her chest and declared, "Leave it to me, ill drag him back if I have too." Somehow...

"Sure go nuts," she did not sound hopeful, "if you need me I'll be preventing the lunatic from corrupting my children." She started back towards the main temple, shoulders hunched with worry, leaving Korra still feeling a little guilty for the trouble Nam had caused her.

Making to go after Nam she paused mid step realising she had forgotten something pretty vital, "Hey Pema," she called after her, "where did Nam go?"

If possible Pema's posture seemed to sink even lower at that, "He said something about the library," she yelled back almost inaudibly, "he said everything was in the wrong place..."

Feeling increasingly worried Korra darted off past Pema and into the main temple. She got a little lost at first and ended up on the floor above the library instead of the library its self. Worried about what Nam would do if left alone with anything breakable, she looked around for another option.

Noticing for the first time the large open window in front of her she decided to take a leaf out of Nam's book and take the Airbender rout. Diving out the window and spun in mid air and using her Airbending she created a small vacuum in front of her that propelled her to towards the window bellow...which she now remembered was always locked to keep the lemurs out...

She had no way of stopping herself so she hit the window face first. Stuck between the immense dizziness she now felt and concentrating on not falling to her death she did not have the energy to actually look into the room.

She was there for surprised when the window opened inwards. Causing her to once again fall on her face, though vertically this time.

"And that is why I stick to Earthbending," Bolin said with a bluntness Korra did not appreciate right now.

"What are you doing in here Bolin?" she groaned pushing herself up into a sitting position.

He huffed at her in an irritated fashion, "Clearly I must be holding a pro-bending match here or something because from your tone you don't believe I can read..."

Suppressing a laugh Korra pushed herself to her feet and gave him a mock bow of apology, "I am deeply sorry my friend," she said making her voice as sarcastic as possible, "in future I will endeavour not to insult such an obvious book lover like yourself."

"Careful you're starting to sound like the crazy Airbender guy," he grumbled back at her.

"Nam-kha?" she asked remembering he was the reason she had come here. She took her first real look at the room expecting to see a burning pile of ancient books or the ceiling painted bright orange.

The library however looked as it ever did, a large crescent shaped room with massive bookshelves lining the walls stacked with a mixture of old scrolls and newer books all the way to the ceiling. In the middle of the room was a large round table surrounded by small chairs and covered with open books, scraps of paper and several copies of the United Daily News.

"Ye that guy," he said offhandedly waving his right hand like the new Airbender was just some guy, "could you ask him to stop painting my face when I'm sleeping?"

"Why can't you?" she asked a little confused and then remembering her reason for visiting this room, "And where did he go Pema said he came in here? And why are you in here? I've never seen you read anything that's not a news article about yourself."

"First because Nam is super crazy and don't want anything else I own painted." he answered counting her questions out on his fingers, "To the second after he finished going through his newspapers and rearranging all Tenzin's books he said he was going to ask the guards about going shopping. Oh and to your third question...ouch, not cool. "

Ignoring the Bolin's last comment she walked over to the table and checked the papers to see what Nam was looking at. Predictably the only news over the last few days had been about either the Bombings or Nam. The break in at Future Industries seemed to have been forgotten for not and she imagined Asami was grateful for that.

The first one she had seen already, Nam had been quite proud of it after he woke up. The front page showed to joint articles, the head line at the top of the page read "Mysterious Airbender crashes damaged Airship into City Park Pond" this has cause one of the first arguments between Tenzin and Nam and had kept her, Mako and Bolin laughing for the whole day when Nam when she showed it off at the hospital (per Nam's request).

The article glossed over a lot of the details about the damage caused and focused more on the cause, that being Nam. According to the "Mysterious Airbender now under house arrest for his own protection" he had guided he falling airship by and they quote "Hitting it really hard on one side then not so hard on the other." It was accompanies by a big picture of the crashed airship sinking in the pond.

The article beneath was much smaller, crammed in underneath like they wanted to make sure everyone saw it. It was titled; "Mysterious Airbender, Hero or Menace?" and featured a very proud looking photo of Nam grinning at the camera and covered in soot. This article continued on pages 3, 4 and 5 and covered every bad thing that Nam had been reported doing over the last few years.

The list was alarmingly long and seemed to mainly consist of Nam attacking Triad members for fun or "relocating" farm animals and some people. According to Nam he had supplied them with the list, this had caused another argument.

She had not read either of the other two newspapers left on the table. The first had the very shocking headline; "Can The Police Still Protect Us?" featuring pictures of an angry Beifong, an image of the damaged police head quarters and several shot of the bombings from around the city.

She skimmed through the article conscious of the time she was wasting but to curious to ignore it. The article was largely a smear campaign against the police and Beifong herself. They didn't mention the assailant that attack the Police headquarters, but they mention a belief that both the attack on headquarters and the city was performed by some left over members of the Equalists.

Scoffing at this Korra turned to the last newspaper on the table from today, only to find that the front page was missing.

"Air boy took it with him," Bolin explained when she pointed it out, to her surprise he had actually been reading while she looked over the new papers, "he looked really annoyed about it."

"Why?" she asked frowning a little, "what was on it?"

"I don't know," he said nonchalantly but added when he saw she irritated expression, "I mentioned he's right? I'm not getting in his way this close to a window, the brats throw me around as it is!"

Shaking her head at his ridiculousness Korra left the library hoping to catch Nam before he decided to attack either the Metalbenders or the white lotus. Wanting to get there quickly she formed an air scooter to hasten her journey to the edge of the island. She marvelled for moment as she zips across the island how bizarre it was that she kept having to use this technique to get to Airbenders.

She was sure where ever Aang was inside her he was laughing.

She was about half way there when she heard it or rather felt it. It sounded like a small explosion coming from the training field. Equal parts curious and worried she redirected her scooter towards the blast.

Just as she was about to enter the training field another blast, a larger one, knocked her backwards off her scooter. Not one to fall down more than once in one day she used the momentum and her Airbending training to flip over and onto her feet.

Moving with more caution she peaked around the edge of one of the surrounding buildings. As she had been about to guess, Nam was there training. He was stood in the centre of the training area with his shirt tied like a sash around his waist, his stolen glider in his right hand

He made an impressive sight, having only seen two adult Airbenders Aang and Tenzin she had always assumed a certain leanness in there build. Nam how ever looked nothing like how she would have expected.

His shoulders and arms were thick with muscle, his chest was broad and his stomach...Realising that watching Nam like this was a little embarrassing she ducked out of sight and hoped she was imagining the heat on her face.

She stayed hidden for a while, sneaking a peak every now and again at Nam's training (and nothing else). His style of Airbending was very unlike Tenzin's as she had seen before, the result of years of self training she guessed.

Many of his movements were similar, he swerved, ducked and spun like she had always in her own training. But he combined these movements with powerful strikes that caused the explosive sound that had lured her there. It was amazing, she had thought of Airbending as almost like a whip to be used to fling her opponents around. She had only ever used it once in a truly conventional style and that had only worked because of the surprise value she had had.

This was something else; Nam's punches, kicks and staff blows had a concussive force that she had never seen outside of Firebending. It was greater in fact, it was like small explosions of air erupted from his fists and went where ever he wished them. Say what she did about Nam's character she had to admit watching him now and thinking back to how he had fought Chen, he was an amazing bender.

She was snapped out of her line of thought by the loud lazy roar of a Sky Bison. Pocking her head back round the corner she noticed, sadly for the first time, that the same massive bison she had seen when she had first met Nam was resting on the edge of the training area. He was one of the biggest she had seen in the stables though she knew he was still a young one.

"Oh and you can do better?" Nam asked the Bison sarcastically, "I know your giant and equally smelly ancestors invented this art but I invented this form."

Another loud roar this one sounding a little disgruntled.

"Alright I concede that you may have things to teach me," Nam replied as if he understood the giant Bison, "but I work best with self teaching. So it's best for both you and Captain arrow head if you keep your ideas down to subtle suggestions."

Another roar, this one sounding more pleased with itself.

"Yes I know you also have an arrow on your head," Nam continued, "you pull it off better though and no I'm not getting one."

"Nam why are you talking to a Sky Bison?" came the sudden voice of Ikki.

"This not just any Sky Bison," objected Nam, "this is master Gigantus and he is training me to throw my guards further out into Yue Bay."

"His name is Jojo," Ikki cut in without missing a beat and continued, "Why are you wearing your shirt as a belt?"

"Because I look fabulous this way," Nam countered, "next question."

"Why can't I Airbend like that?"

"Because Air likes me more, next"

"What happened to your big coat?"

"An airship fell on it, next."

"You're lying!" she accused angrily.

"Am not then a hobo stole it for bedding, next."

"How did you get Jojo out here without the Acolytes stopping him?"

"Master Gigantus go goes where he will, he's a free spirit. Next!"

"Why did you throw my dad through a wall?"

"I punched him through the wall and as to why I was trying to squash a bug, next."

"Why don't you where Airbending cloths like the rest of us?"

"I don't want to look like a dessert, next."

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"Yes several, most now hate me, one is trying to kidnap me. Next."

"Do you like Korra?"

"Yes she's feisty, next."

Korra, who had been trying to stop herself from giggling, felt herself smile a little at that one.

"What happened to your weird goggles?"

"My goggles were awesome and it was a combo of Korra and a burning airship, next."

"Why is Korra hiding over there?"

Korra froze.

"She finds me too attractive to look at directly."

"I do not!" she yelled angrily leaping without thinking from her hiding place. She was greeted by the smug grins of both Nam and Ikki, must be an Airbender thing.

"Hey Korra!" Ikki shouted to her waving over her head like Korra could not see her at this point.

"It's Avatar Korra Ikki," Nam said chidingly, "she gets mad when you say it wrong."

"Shut up and I was not hiding Ikki and was waiting for him to finish," ye that would convince them...

Nam jut looked smugger at that but Ikki was nodding in agreement, "Makes sense it's what Jinora and I were doing a minute ago...OW!" a sandal had just collided with her head.

"Hey Jin," called Nam who seemed to be loving the attention, "enjoying the show."

A very embarrassed looking Jinora climbed off the roof where she imagined Ikki and floated down from a minute ago. It struck Korra how much more grown up Jinora was looking recently, she usually saw her playing with her siblings or training.

Now with her face bright red and a small white flower casually tucked into her hair band, she looked older. She was almost twelve now Korra realised and an odd maternal side of her lamented that Jinora would soon become a teenager. Somewhere in the spirit world Aang must be watching her the same way, it made her feel older.

"Hey Nam...Korra," the poor girl looked like she was about to bolt.

"Hi Jinora," Korra replied trying to sound as kind as possible.

Nam seemed to disagree with this tactic, "Have you seen my flute anywhere, it's been missing since I got back." Korra had hidden it in the White Lotus building.

Jinora quickly shook her head and without saying another word she ran from the training area jumping onto an air scooter after a few metres and was gone in the blink of an eye.

"What was that about?" questioned Nam flexing his shoulders deliberately the second she looked at him.

"Put a shirt on Nam your scaring small children!" she said angrily, she had been that age once and had had crushes of her own. It seemed unfair that Nam could be his usual annoying self when Jinora was having problems.

He gave her a scathing look, "I have one other shirt with me and its being washed," he complained, "if you want me dressed then expect me to be walking around shirtless for a while because this shirt will me filthy too."

"My dad says you can have some of his cloths while you're here," offered Ikki in an oddly helpful way.

"Not if we were in the South Pole and my life was on the line!"

Ok now Korra was annoyed, "Put on the shirt Nam!" she commanded crossing her arms over her chest.

"Would you be surprised if I said no?" he asked gesturing with his hands mockingly to emphasize his point.

"Put on the shirt!" she commanded again, taking a step towards him.

He took a step away from her, "No it's far more fashionable as a belt!"

She continued after him, it took her a moment to realise she was now chasing him around the training area, "Put on the shirt!"

The Sky Bison Jojo roared in an amused kind of way.

"See mater Gigantus agrees with me!" Nam said pointing towards the Bison.

"What did he say?" she asked trying to distract him long enough to tackle him, it did not work.

Nam frowned mockingly at her, "Nothing he's a Sky Bison," and with that he jumped over her head and landed on an air scooter.

She did not see him again for three days after that, she had completely forgotten after the Newspaper article he had hidden and would not remember an till she sore him next. On the beach after her date with Mako.

* * *

_Dont worry if you dislike the none violent nature of this chapter you will have more angst next time. Please review and read next time, Im writing this mainly to avoid doing my uni work._

**_Next time: _**_Korra celabrates Mako's recovery and finds out more about about Nam's mysterious past._


	7. Chapter 7

I finish this chapter with some pride at its believe quality and with joy at the annoyance some of you may feel because of how I lied in the previous closing statement. Those things will be in next chapter. If I had included them here it would have ruined the ending of this one and I would cut out my shrivilled up carcess of a heart before ruining a good scene.

**Disclaimer****: **I do not own Korra or the Avatar franchise now because I have a massive head ache I will some the disclaimer here.

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Date Night**

_Mistress Lei was going to kill him when she found out he had bent outside the compound. It was ok though no one was as fast as he was and he was in the outer mountains. Besides he was in the outer mountains, further out even than the compound._

_As Nam landed gingerly on a jutting spire of rock he looked back at his home or rather the city his home was built next too. Temple city covered seven mountain top, surrounding the remains of the old Northern Air Temple._

_It was an amazing sight, a multi layered construction of bronzed metal housing thousands. Factories could be seen on the upper levels belching smoke into the sky and on the lower levels the fires of dozens of foundries could be seen burning._

_Bridges and tram tracks linked the mountains together forming an almost organic looking machine of a city, surrounded as it was by hundreds of airships. Funny they looked like ticks or flies from over here._

_Apart from the seven main mountains dozens of other mountains surrounding the main city had small hamlets constructed on them. The city was slowly but surely consuming the entire mountain range._

_His own home however he could not see, no one could save for a small mountain opening where supplies could be dropped off. He however was not allowed to return there today, not so long as Avatar Aang was visiting._

"_Nam wait up..." called the faint voice Yang chen._

* * *

Jerking awake Nam shook himself violently trying to get the dream out of his head. It was not a memory he liked to recall too often, not that that helped in the long run but he could try.

Stretching in his comfortable position on Gigantus' back he toyed with the idea of going back to sleep. But given how much daylight was streaming through the stable opening he had to get moving before A the enormous Bison awoke and rolled over on him again or B Korra came looking for him again.

He sighed rubbing his temple, he laughed bitterly to himself doing so as he considered that he could never get away from the various Temples of his life.

Giving Gigantus a pat on the shoulder in thanks he slipped down of the Bison's massive back and grabbed his new coat off his pathetic stolen staff. The staff was nothing compared to his old one but hey that's the price he had to pay for leaving it at the Compound.

Slipping into the knee length grey coat he marvelled at the workmanship that had gone into it. It was just like his old one only this time he had gone for even brighter bronze buttons and a more flame retardant material.

It had taken him an age to find a good tailor in the city, made even harder by Beifong's Nam hunters on the lookout for him.

Positioning his new goggles around his neck he grabbed the dork staff and walked out on a new day on boring Temple island. Well boring so long as he was avoiding Korra but it was either ignore her or get lectured on his behaviour. In his mind not a real competition of interests.

He shrugged letting the worry float away, he would deal with it when it came. Being around Korra was weird anyway, he didn't like it but he actually like having her around.

Refusing to let confusing thoughts cloud his mind he dashed off towards the kitchens and his usual early morning mission to steal Tenzin's breakfast and newspaper. He also had to prepare for Chens visit tonight.

* * *

"Why can't he just get his own breakfast like a normal person?" complained Tenzin as he ate the extra breakfast Pema had made him just in case Nam stole it again, which they all knew he would.

"Oh come on its not like you're missing anything," Pema chided taking baby Rohan's spoon out of his ear where Ikki had put it. Pema had become less irritated my Nam's presence since he replaced all the items in the house he broke in his fight with Tenzin.

How he had the money to pay for them and how he got them to the island was a mystery. Pema much like Korra and everyone else on the island had just come to except a certain lack of sense around Nam-kha.

"My newspaper!" Tenzin pointed out angrily slamming his fist on the extra paper his had borrowed from one of the acolytes, "he stole my morning crossword, for three days now. It's getting ridiculous I mean he's not even using it!"

"What's he doing with it?" asked Bolin who had not yet leant to leave this alone.

Tenzin angrily slammed a piece of paper on the table in front of them all. It was followed by a lot of giggling from Ikki and Melo and a silent snort from Korra herself who had seen it earlier.

The paper showed a tiny cartoon version of Nam (it had goggles and a stupid grin) reading a newspaper. This was the third one he had left for them, the first had shown him eating from a plate labelled Tenzin's breakfast (with a big arrow pointing at it) and the second had shown Nam with a fat belly sleeping on a small stack of newspapers.

The cartoons were funny enough, but for some reason Nam only did them on the crossword section of Tenzin's newspaper. The rest went missing and was never seen again.

None of them had seen Nam for days now, well at least she had not and it was starting to annoy her. Everyone else had caught a glimpse of the lunatic flying around. But he seemed to be actively ignoring her for some reason.

Huffing to herself she put Nam out of her mind, she and Mako were going out today when she went to get him from the hospital. Pema had made them a picnic and they were going to eat it in the park (they had gotten most of the Airship out of the water now).

Bolin had laughed himself horse when she had told him excitedly when they had planned. He had not believed she could have wanted to do something so stereotypically romantic. After punching him she had reminded him that every girl wanted to do something truly romantic every now and again.

After breakfast and after wresting a promise out of Bolin and the kids that they would in no way let Nam where she had gone, she grabbed her picnic basket from Pema and after getting to the mainland drove off at what had to be twice the speed limit raced off to Mako.

* * *

The day had been wonderful, riding around parts of the City she had rarely visited an till the sun was low on the horizon. Sitting buy the pond in the park and laughing at the mess Nam had made of the pond.

They lay together under a tree, Korra resting her head on Mako's shoulder as they watched the sun slowly sink lower behind the cityscape. There picnic was left half eaten and forgotten, she just wanted to lie there and enjoy being with him before going back to the craziness that was the island.

"Hey has Beifong mentioned the bombings to you at all?" she asked dreamily not really caring that much at this point.

Mako took a minute to respond, she thought he might have been dozing, "Hmmmm...oh no not much, she thinks it was just some opportunists that were taking advantage of the disarray..."

"That's nice..." she relied yawning loudly.

"Classy," he commented with a small chuckle.

She jabbed him lightly in the ribs, "You left he along with your brother and a mad Airbender, your fault if I pick up bad habits."

She laughed again and the slipped back into silence, she may have dropped off for a minute as the sun seemed to be setting really quickly today.

"Hey about Nam..." Mako started at last but Korra stopped him with a finger to his lips.

"I have to deal with him or hear about him all day every day at the moment," she said softly, "let's just enjoy our time here together ok."

He pulled her finger away looking serious, "I was going to ask if him being around is causing any problems with you know..." he trailed off.

"With what?" she asked worried about what where this was going.

"With your past lives," he said sounding almost embarrassed.

"Oh," Korra said in surprise having expected a far more uncomfortable convocation, "no why?"

He shrugged, "He's a new Airbender, you were once the last of them," he really sounded worried for her, "I just wanted to be sure that it wasn't causing you any pain being around him. I could understand if it did."

"Oh there's pain," she said smiling impishly, "just not for Aang. Nam's just really, really, really annoying." She leaned in and kissed him softly in thanks, "Thank you though, it means a lot to me that you care enough to ask and your right I should ask Aang about Nam, maybe he'll have some ideas how to control him."

"He can't be that bad," Mako said laughing, "I know I was against him at first but from what I heard he's just a joker like Bolin."

She gave him one of her scathing glares, "Did you also hear that he's refused to tell us where the other Airbenders are?" she asked and from his face she could tell he had not.

"What!" he exclaimed angrily, "why would he do that, isn't the whole idea to get them to safety as soon as possible."

"I know right," she agreed her own anger at the Airbender rising again, "and that's not the whole of it!"

"What else is there?"

"He doesn't even want to be part of Tenzin's Air Nomads," said replied more angrily that she intended.

Mako just looked confused at that, "That doesn't make any sense," he observed, "there are barely any Air Nomads out there and he wants to keep them all apart?"

"Hey don't ask me," Korra replied, "I'm just repeating their argument. He won't listen to anyone about it and he's not even been talking to me for the last few days. I just have this horrible feeling he's going suddenly vanish and we'll never see him again."

For some reason that seemed to annoy Mako more than Nam being uncooperative, "Is that really such a bad idea?" he asked out of the blue.

"What?" she asked confused by his comment.

"I just mean you should worry about all the other Airbenders he's hiding and not just this guy!"

She frowned at him, "That's not the point here," she said peevishly, "he's as much a part of the Air Nomads as anyone else. If I'm going to save them I need to save them all!"

"I'm just scared you're getting too personally involved with this problem," he said not meeting her eyes.

Catching onto what he was getting at she gave him a smug smile, "Mako are you jealous of Nam?" she asked mockingly.

"What!" he said incredulously, "Korra that's ridiculous!"

"Well he is handsome I guess," she observed in a semi serious tone.

"Korra..."

"And an amazing bender!"

"Korra listen..."

"And if I'm honest what he did with the Airship was really heroic!"

"Korra..." she cut him off with a kiss, deeper this time.

"I'm with you," she said softly as she broke the kiss, "and that won't change because of Nam or anyone so long as you don't want it to."

They kissed again and continued to lie together as the sun sank fully beneath the towering buildings that marked the horizon. Time meant little when you were with someone to loved, she could have happily stayed there for years an till her cycle ended and the next Avatar took over for her.

Morbid though, but welcome in this moment. Odds are they would take over punching Nam for her.

* * *

Back on the island Korra bid Mako good night at the entrance to the men's sleeping quarters. He was back to work tomorrow and needed his rest. Still feeling awake however she decided to have a walk around and try and find Nam again, hopefully she would catch him as he slept this time and he could not get away.

She wondered around aimlessly enjoying the lights of the city at night. She had almost forgotten about Nam when she heard the faint whisper of voices coming from the beach. Sneaking closer much like a few days ago she hid behind a large rocky outcropping and looked out and carefully as she could.

Nam was there as she had guessed and standing with him like the second part of a grey coated set was Yang chen the criminal Airbender. They were standing quiet casually, Nam in his new coat and goggles that she had never seen was sat on one of the small rocks that were buried in the sand. Chen was leaning against her metal glider that she had stuck in the ground.

They seemed to be speaking quiet normally to each other.

"...and no I have not told them where to look," Nam said lazily as if rounding off a small speech.

"Is that going to change?" Chen asked, it was odd hearing her voice quietly and not shouting at her.

"It might if they agree to my conditions," Nam replied pointedly making it clear she could not change her mind.

They were quiet for a moment, Chen seemed a little uncomfortable in his presence. If Korra had to guess she would say that Chen was feeling guilty, though that may be wishful thinking on Korra's part.

"The bombings..."

"I know it's not you," Nam said at once shocking Korra a little, when Chen did not ask why Nam elaborated, "it did not fit in with your plan."

"What do you know about my plans!" Chen retorted angrily.

"Are you saying you did set off the bombs?"

"...no..." she replied looking a little embarrassed.

Korra did not like to take things at face value but from the way Chen responded she could tell she was telling the truth. But that did beg the question of "Who did set off those bombs?"

"Where have you been staying?" Nam asked his voice still sounding bored, none of his usual good humour coming through.

There was a pause, "...I can't tell you," Chen said at last, she sounded like the statement caused her pain.

"You don't trust me." It was not a question, it sounded like a statement.

The sadness on Chen's face almost broke Korra's heart, her enormous feline eyes had a shine to them that made Korra think she was about to cry.

"I just can't tell you," she replied at last her voice shaking a little.

"Is that a yes because I'm going to need a definite answer at some point?" Nam put a bit of his usual cheer into his voice making a Chen laugh weakly. Maybe he was not a clueless as Korra had imagined.

"No!" she said with mock sincerity smiling at Nam and wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"That's better," he said with a grin before returning to his more serious persona, "So why did you call me here?"

"I just wanted to talk," she said softly her voice more confident now.

Nam laughed at that, shortly and bitterly, "You mean you wanted to make me see reason?" he replied coldly, "Or to tell me to stay out of your way!"

"Nam..." Chen replied weakly but was cut off by Nam.

"No don't Nam me!" he said anger rising in his voice, "I think I've been pretty understanding in this hissy fit you've been throwing here."

"Nam this is for our people!" Chen countered her own voice rising, "you said it your sell years ago. We have to create for ourselves a place in the world just for the Air Nomads. Make ourselves strong so that the genocide could never be repeated!"

"Nearly twenty years of carefully planned secrecy!" Nam yelled furiously moving to stand in front of her so quickly it created a blast of air that forced Korra to look away from them for a second, "Almost twenty years of hiding what I am, what everyone of us is and you destroy that chasing some ridiculous dream of mine you did not even understand!"

"It's not just your dream!" she yelled back equally angry, her tears finally flowing, "Stop treating me like a child or your little sister. I'm not either of those things!" she look away from him trying to hide a small sob she could not stop. She looked back at him tear streaming down her face and cried, "I'm someone that loves you, someone that wants our people to live in the sun and one the air like were meant to. Not in a mountain on the edge of our ancestors gave!"

For once Nam was truly speechless, he was not smiling or cocky. He could not even look Chen in the face it seemed. He stared instead at her staff, running a gloved hand over the dark metal.

Growing inpatient it seemed Chen grabbed her face in both her hands and pulled it down to her level. She kissed him, forcefully but still tenderly. Korra was often clueless in these things but even she could see that it was something Chen had wanted to do for a long time.

A small knot of tension started in the centre of Korra chest. Was she feeling for Chen's situation? Was she jealous? She couldn't be jealous, she had Mako. But all the same she felt a longing for the world these two came from. A world of secrecy and hidden passion, where all they wanted was to be free and have the right to live as they wished.

After almost a minute they broke their kiss, Chen gripping the massive folds of Nam's coat refusing to look up. Nam looked like he was truly in pain, she could not imagine him crying and she knew he would not in front of Chen but...those long grey eyes were shining with a pain Korra could not begin to understand.

"Nam?" she said it like a question.

"You stole me staff," he said so quietly Korra almost felt like leaning in to make sure she caught what he had said, "Just like you would steal us a place in this world."

"Nam!" she said through renewed sobs pressing her head against his chest and shaking with the force of her grief.

Taking her by the shoulders he forced Chen to look into his eyes, "If we want a place in this world, we have to win it. The prize cannot me stolen!" he stroked her cheek affectionately, "We must earn what we want in this world, I wish you could see that..." and he let her go.

Chen stole frozen in place for a long time constantly on the edge of tears and fury. Then without a word to the man she loved, Chen grabbed hers stolen glider and took off into the air.

Within seconds the only record of her having been there at all was a small hole were her glider had been and a half broken Airbender that Korra was finally beginning to understand.

Rising to her feet and clearing her throat to let Nam she was there Korra said firmly, "We have some things we need to talk about!"

Looking over at her with no hint of a smile or grin on his face, Nam replied simply, "Ye I think we do..."

* * *

For those of you ready to strangle me for finishing up there do not dispair. I will be working on the next part soon as it was ment to be part of this chapter, it will also be a shorter chapter as will only cover a big Korra-Nam scene that is in my opinion the central scene of this whole story. Or is is if you combine it with the Nam-Chen scene you just read or I hope you just read. If your reading this before the story then shame on you and you are now banned from reading further or you would be if I could stop you or even knew if you had.

Anyway please review and enjoy the rest of the story as and when i write it.

_**Next Time: **Korra confronts Nam on his actions and on his past and how its effecting his present. But will this open a dam on her own feeling as well?_


	8. Chapter 8

_You know I am something of a lieing git when all comes down to it, I promise you action one chapter, no action. I promise you a short chapter next time, oh look its the longest chapter to date and its only one scene! I love this chapter and I loved writing it and unlike other once I have write (Cough *All of the* Cough) I went through this one and and tried to elimiate as many spell errors as I can, the gramma i left alone as I don't really care about it and find it over rated._

_I know people I have said before that i have problems in my stories with spelling and lack of description. I am unfortunettly a heavily dyslexic and autistic lunitic or so I am discribed. I will there for with great pettyness and no joy save for your irritation go back through this story and try to rectify this issue. I warn you this could take some time but i do have the next few chapter of this story planned out and an ending planned since the beginning._

_I will complete this story as Nam is my witness!_

**Disclaimer**: The only character's I own in this story are Nam, Chen and the Airbenders there hidding. I don't even own there airbending so don't sue me, trust me when i say no one is paying me to do this.

* * *

**Chapter 8 – War of truths**

If you asked Korra later how it ended up how it did with Nam and her. She would never be able to tell you or she would refuse to talk about it. Her own memories of their convocation were vague at best, eclipsed by the fight.

It started simply enough or rather uncomfortably enough for after Chen had left and they had sat down to talk neither of them seemed to have the energy to start. It felt like hours passed sitting maybe three feet from each other onto a long lopsided rock on the beach. Korra was sat a little above Nam because of this and she had to be careful not to fall onto him.

Korra was reminded of when she had told Mako how see felt about him, over a year ago now. Nervous yet also a little excited by what was coming. This was different though, just a little.

She did not love Nam or she hoped she didn't because that would make this convocation even worse. But she was about to rip open all of Nam's oldest wounds and she did not know how to start.

Nam was a laid back Airbender, never taking anything seriously save in the most extreme circumstances. But underneath that she knew he carried a lot of weight from his past and from his hidden people.

Thinking like that Korra realised that in a way they were keeping Nam as a political prisoner. Refusing to let him go an till he told us the location of his people, she could barely imagine the pressure that would put on him.

She had to break the ice somehow but...

"So your staff?" she asked remembering how he had referred to it before as his own.

"My staff," he agreed flatly, he was not going to make this easy.

"How did...?" she asked vaguely gesturing a little with one hand to help get the vague point across.

He sighed, "When I travel I travel in secret or I did before all this. The staff was at the Compound." There was still none of the usual joy in Nam's voice that Korra had come to expect, it made her sad for some reason and she secretly hoped that it would come back as they continued to speak.

"The Compound?" she asked not remembering if he had ever mentioned it before.

"Project Nomad's centre of operations slash housing, big place outside Temple City, very secret!" even in his flat tone she could hear the contempt he felt for the place.

"Did you make the staff?"

"Yep," he replied casually, "I made it to handle my concussive bending."

"Concussive..." she began but was cut off.

"Wood can't take it without support," he continued and making it clear from his tone that he was not going to explain any further about his bending style. She fine with that for now.

She cleared her throat a little trying to work up the courage to ask a difficult question, "Are you ok about how you left things with Chen?" she really did not want to ask that but knew that in order to ask the rest of it she would need to bring her up.

"Nothing was ok with how that went," he replied harshly giving her a cold look that sent a spike of anger through her head.

"Hey I'm just trying to be kind!" she retorted hotly, "you don't need to bite my head off."

He glared at her for a minute then look away sighing hard, "Sorry," he said sadly, "it's just a horrible situation, there's a lot of history."

"Were you two ever together before?" Korra asked tentatively, "you said history is it that kind of history or something different?"

"It was assumed," he replied, an edge creeping into his voice like he resented the fact, "things were different at the Compound than they are out here. We were together since childhood and both had high promise in the Project so everyone just assumed that when we were of age...it would happen."

"Would it?" she asked and when he gave her a questioning look she continued with, "would it have happened if all this stuff had not happened?"

"Probably," he sighed sadly, "we were the only Airbenders of our age and everything else was there you know so. Ye if nothing like this had happened then we would have been together."

Korra absorbed that, fighting down the odd tight feeling in her chest that had started up again. Was out of pity for their situation, probably but she guessed it went deeper than that. Despite only knowing him for a short while she felt connected to Nam-kha, that little piece of Aang in the back of her mind that drew her to this lost Airbender.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked tentatively deciding to go for her biggest concern as early as possible.

"I have no way of stopping you Avatar Korra, please continue," she liked the tiny note of humour in his voice that had crept out then.

"Chen mentioned her plan was once your plan," she asked slowly and Nam immediately looked away from her, was it shame she sore on his face? "What did she mean? What's her plan and how does it relate to you?"

He took a long time to respond, when he did his voice was nearly a whisper, "When we were younger we would be told about the genocide that was brought down on our people," he explained slowly, "they meant it as a history lesson but you have to understand. We lived on a mountain that looked out on the remains of the Northern Air Temple!"

"That must have been hard," she said as comfortingly as it could.

"It was like living next to a graveyard," he said bitterly, "I was the first Airbender born out of the program, Chen the second. We would look out at that half devoured white structure and see how easily the world would be able to eat up what was left of us.

"I came up with the idea, it wasn't really a plan it was more of an extension to what we had been doing. Our mistress Lei had kept us all quiet about what we were, saying we would stay like that an till we were grown up and strong enough to defend ourselves. She does not trust anyone that woman." He laughed a little at that, if a little sadly.

"I said one day that her plan did not go far enough. I said that the people of the world would not except a few extra Airbenders in the world, they barely excepted the ones out there now. I said we should wait to reveal ourselves till we were strong enough to cut ourselves a bit of the world for ourselves.

"It was never a violent idea, never like that. I wanted us to be a group of a few dozen Airbenders and maybe twice that in none benders that could leave and start a new Air Nomad society. One stronger than the old one! It was only an idea but..." he trailed off.

"Chen didn't want to wait," Korra finished for him.

"No she wanted to take that piece of the world I promised," he said this through clenched teeth, "it's my fault! It must have looked like I was scared to do anything more. She was always trying to help me..."

"Tell me about Project Nomad?" she asked quickly wanting to get his mind away from his self pity.

He shrugged his large shoulders at her and sighed loudly, "What is there to tell you that I haven't already?" he asked rhetorically.

"Anything you can," she answered quickly, wanting to know as much as possible.

He thought for a moment, looking out at the city lights with a faint smile on his face. As she waited the wind suddenly picked up around them sending a chill right through to her bones, she felt herself shiver rubbing her arms and wishing she had brought out her parker.

Without warning Nam grabbed her by the side and drew her closer to him. He dropped one half or rather a proportionately Korra sized amount of his coat over her bare shoulders. The coat was amazingly warm and soft but the real warmth was coming from Nam and from her as she felt herself blush from her ears to her nose.

"Th...thanks," she stammered not looking at him, scared he would see how red she had gotten.

"I live on a mountain," he explained simply, "I know when people are cold."

It took her a minute to get her head back in order, her back resting against his solid and warm body did not help this. She realised how hard she had been resisting the idea of Nam being a guy. Ye she knew he was and all but Nam was always just...Nam. He was an infuriating and eccentric Airbender she had found like a stray animal one day. Viewing him in the same category she kept Mako and Bolin in was weird.

Wanting with all her being to have these thoughts out of her head she cleared her throat as loudly as she could without damaging their ears and asked, "So Nomads?" not as clear as she had planned but hey that was what she was going with.

He chuckled at her, shifting his weight to make himself more comfortable, "Nomads," he repeated in a smooth version of his usual tone, "there are a few of us. If you want to know the basics then I would say it was a resettlement program started not long after the war ended. You, that is to say Avatar Aang, did not know an till a few years before his death, I only sore him once."

"You met Aang?" Korra asked in shock turning to look at him and realising once again how close their bodies were.

"Once," he confirmed, "he never knew what I was but he liked me. I was two I think, floating around the mountains with Chen. The two of us are what caused him to not shut us down, he said we were like real Airbenders how joyful and full of life we were."

Korra felt herself a laugh a little at the ridiculousness of it all, she had met Nam in a former life and not even known it. Once as an old man and now as a woman...a woman that was virtually sitting on his lap. She quickly repositioned herself a little to limit the body contact between them.

"So how many of you are there?" she asked hopefully, he had been pretty vague on this matter since they had brought him back.

His grey eyes immediately began avoiding her. This had really annoyed her over the last week, she could not understand why he was so insistent on not telling them. She could understand his issues with telling Tenzin or Lin but why would he not tell her?

"Come on aren't we past this?" she asked hotly.

"Clearly not," he replied in a similar tone, "I'm sorry but I can't risk them, not an till I have all of them with me and in front of me so I can keep them all safe."

"What are you keeping them safe from," she countered angrily, "do you think Chen is going to go after them if she sees them with you?"

"It's not Chen I'm worried about!"

"Then who," he was really getting on her nerves now and she had been making real head way a second ago.

"From everyone else!" he exclaimed looking her dead in the eyes and pointing one large black gloved hand and the shining city over the water.

She had no words for that, mostly she thought because Nam seemed to have included her in that description. He had said it while looking at her, like she was the symbol for everything that was outsider in his world.

"What are you talking about?" she asked hating herself when she heard her voice break a little, she felt hurt by his words and a little betrayed by them.

Instead of answering her directly he reached behind her and into what she realised was a series of large pockets in his coat. It took him a second but he eventually drew out a folded and heavily wrinkled page from a newspaper.

It was a minute before Korra realised it was the page that had been missing from the newspaper in the library. Nam offered it to her forcefully and she took it without looking at him, refusing to give him anything with how he was acting.

The front page was labelled; "The Airbending Terror!" and as she read Korra realised exactly what Nam had been so worried about.

_The Airbending Terror_

_Of all the bending arts in the world, Airbending remains the most mysterious. For over a hundred years it was thought of as an extinct art an till it's revival in Avatar Aang. Today over seventy years since the end of the war there are but a few Airbenders living in the world today and only one an Adult. At least this is what we thought._

_Only a few days ago reporters across Republic City and the world had the delight to inform the public that there was not only another Airbender in our world, the mysterious Nam-kha currently confined to Air Temple island, but possibly a whole host of other Airbenders kept secret from the public for nearly twenty years._

_While many view this revelation with joy, many citizens of republic city have not been so quick to welcome this "new form of bending". _

"_How do I know my children are safe?" asked a concerned mother, "I've never even seen an Airbender, how do we know what there even capable of?"_

"_Every legend passed down through the nations of the world has classed Air Nomads as irresponsible and destructive travellers!" says Republic City East University professor, "which is just another way of saying lawless isn't it. You ask me I'm glad he's on that island, keep him there with his own kind and away from normal people!"_

_Even respected business owner Lau Gan-Lan, Owner of Cabbage Corp has his reservations about the arrival of more Airbenders in the city, "My father told me stories as a child, how he was forced to near bankruptcy on multiple occasions due to the damage caused by Airbending! His cabbage cart was destroyed on multiple occasions for the amusement of a child. If not for the financial help of a Fire Nation play write I doubt my father would have lived long enough for me to be born."_

_Whether Airbending will become part of the world again one day is irrelevant, what we should ask ourselves is what place should we allow them to take? Do let them take our jobs, do we let a race of what I understand as "purely bender" just walk right in and take over._

_Our ancestors kept Airbenders in there temples, only allowing them to visit on occasion. I say why break a tradition that obviously worked once and could easily work again. (Continued page 3, 4, 5 & 6)_

Coupled with the article was a picture Korra could not imagine how the reporters had gotten. It showed Nam as he trained, shirtless and focuses, his muscles shinning with sweat as he moved through his forms. Bellow were a few smaller photos, shadowy half focused camera shots of a figure on the top of buildings in the city. A long staff in its hands...

"How can I bring my people into that?" he asked his voice shaking with rage, "the youngest one is four years old and barely bending. Do I drag him into a world that as far as I can see wants to confine him to an island away from normal people?"

"Nam I didn't..." she felt terrible having not know about this, she had been so wrapped up in the strangeness of everything she had not realised how some people were reacting.

"Air Nomads need freedom," he said sharply standing up and beginning to pace franticly, "we can't just be cooped up all the time. That's worse than the Compound, at least there we can escape for a while. Go travelling and see what good the world has to offer!"

"It's just a few people Nam," Korra implored, standing and trying to grab him to calm him down.

He stopped dead in his track and stared down at her, his eyes like a storm of pained rage, "Just one man allowed my whole race to be nearly exterminated!" he said in a shaking tortured voice, "one man nearly caused this city to destroy its self! How do I trust a world that can let that happen Korra?"

It was weird hearing him just use her name, it felt oddly intimate and she did not know how to feel about it.

"You can trust us Nam, there are Air Nomads here too," she could see the doubt on his face, the years of mistrust closing him off from her, "I'm an Airbender too," she said in an affection voice she had never heard herself use, "you can trust me..."

She could see the tension in his large shoulders and back as he fidgeted uncomfortably. He looked lost and alone standing there stuck between the past and the future, like Tenzin in a way. Maybe that was why they had such problems connecting, such different people with virtually the same worries on their shoulders.

"How do I trust you Korra?" he asked seriously, "I barely even know you."

Not knowing how to express the anger she felt towards him after he said that, she did the only thing that made sense to her. She punched him in the face.

He staggered from the force of her blow his teeth gritted from pain and rage. He looked like he was about to speak but she did not care, she was sick of his words. She stepped forward and punched him again, this time in the stomach making him grunt and stagger back further.

"How dare you!" she screamed at him. She wanted to hurt him, hurt him with her bare hands! She sung her leg round towards his right shoulder but he blocked it, bunching his arm up tight as a shield, "I have been trying to help you," she tried two more jabs both directed at his face, he blocked both but did nothing in response, "everyday I've been helping!"

She swung her left leg up and brought it down towards him head, he blocked easily forming an X shape over his head and catching her kick before it connected. But she knew he would take the kick like that, so using his block as a platform she launched herself into the air and slammed her right leg into his ribs.

As he cried out in pain she jumped back one step and tackled him into the sand. Seating herself firmly on his chest she rained blows down on him, not even looking to see where they were landing!

"Is it so hard to imagine!" she cried barely able to think through her rage, "That I just wanted to be your friend? All your Avatar Korra this! Avatar Korra that! Always joking, never trying to be anything except an immature, insensitive, Airbending, jerk!"

Roaring like an in raged Bison Nam flung her off him, using his Airbending to blast them apart to forcefully they were flung twenty feet apart, a large crater left in the sand were they had been just second before.

"You have no right to invade my life!" he roared at her pointing at her from across the beach, "Cosy in your tiny sheltered part of the world, what do you know about having to hide everything you are even from your own parents! Have ever you had to watch your mother die knowing all she ever knew of you was a lie! Someone like you could never know me well enough to be my friend!"

And he ran, he ran like he had three days before but this time Korra knew she could catch him. She chased him across the island as she tried to beat some sense into the man. They fought only with their bodies enhanced only the speed of their Airbending crashing from one part of the island to the next.

She slammed him through the Bison stables. He used her to destroy the turning gates. They battled their way through the island an till they came to a near standstill in the central courtyard. They exchanged blows in the centre of the clear space, brawling like any non bender would an till she knocked him to the ground and the found themselves grappling on the ground.

They grappled in the courtyard for well over an hour, wresting each other for control. His size made it difficult but she was smaller and nimbler because of it. Eventually after he slammed her through a wooden column and she had brought the same column down on his shaggy haired head he darted up onto the roves and out of sight.

She knew he could have gotten away if he wanted to but as they brawled across the roof tops of Air Temple Island she realised he did not really want to run. He wanted her to beat him, to show him that she was willing to fight for him, for his trust and friendship!

He scissor kicker at her head.

She ducked just in time and tried to sweep him of his feet.

He flipped over her leg and tried to crush her as he came down.

She rolled out of the way pulling one his legs out from under him as she went.

He landed on his hands and kicked out at her chest with both feet and putting her on her back.

She rolled to the side as he went for a drop kick.

Tackling his legs she had him down this time and she was on top of him.

Wrapping his arms around her back he got her in a bear hug.

Feeling like her ribs were going to break she did the only thing that made sense. She brought her head back as far as it would go and slammed her forehead into his nose.

His grip broken for a split second she swung her hips up and slammed herself down on his stomach and grabbing both of his large biceps she pushed them back onto the roves surface. She had pinned him and won!

"I am your friend Nam!" she cried not caring about the poor Acolytes she was waking up, "I don't know why but I am and I want to be so except it!"

He furiously tried to buck her off refusing to even look at her. She could see the damage she had done to him starting to make itself known, his nose was bloody, his lower lip was cut on the right side. His left cheek bone was swollen and cut.

Both of them were battered and filthy, both from sweat and the dirt and sand they had picked up on the way here. But Korra did not care, they would deal with this now or not at all. He had to know that she was will to stand at his back if the worse happened!

"You can trust me Nam..." she implored taking a gamble and letting go of his arms to grip his face so he would be forced to look at her, "I promise you I would never hurt your people, why would I want to when I have you to hurt?"

He had stopped fighting her, the hate and rage slowly melted from his face replaced a look of tired acceptance. He smiled weakly at her as he said croakily, "Seven..."

That had caught her a little off guard, "Seven what?" she asked, worried she had knocked the sense out of him.

"There are seven Air Nomads from Project Nomad, including Chen and myself. I'll take you to them on one condition..." he voice had a little of the old Nam in it.

"What?" she asked letting his face go and looking down at him seriously. She was starting to get worried about how close they were to each other again.

"You come with me, ill trust you and who you say I can trust. But you have to come...please Korra."

The pleading in his voice made the knot in her chest tighten like a noose, she smiled at him his swollen face shinning slightly in the dawn light. She nodded giving him a playful punch on the arm, "I was coming no matter what you said fly boy!" she proclaimed proudly.

He laughed loudly at that, like his true self again, like he had not a care in the world. Which she now realised was how he wanted to be viewed and how he wanted to be. She got so wrapped up in that though that she barely noticed when he grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her into one of the hottest kisses of her life.

She drowned in the sensation of him, all the emotion of that night crashing down on her in that moment, that kiss! It probably only lasted a few seconds but it felt like hours had passed when Nam suddenly flipped her over and she found herself under him.

Her face flushed bright red at their position but Nam just winked at her, flashed Korra his roughish grin, planted one last kiss on her lips and launched himself off her letting the air carry him high into the sky and down onto the ground down bellow.

She scrambled on her stomach to catch him but he was in no hurry, he was walking casually away from her in his now ruined long sleeve buckled t-shirt. He waved over his head back at her casually as he walked away back down to the beach to retrieve his greatcoat.

"I'll hold you to your word Avatar Korra," he called back to her, "Oh and you broke my goggles again!"

She laughed to herself and rolled gently onto her back, too tired and too shocked to do anything. What had see gotten herself into? She could not deny how she felt any more and to be honest with herself she had realised days before how she was feeling.

She loved Mako, she did and nothing was going to change that. But she also had feelings for Nam-kha the half mad Airbender that had fallen into her life like weird goggled Sky Bison. She did not know how these feelings would affect her or what they would become down the road. But for some reason she did not want to give them up.

"I'm in so much trouble," she admitted to herself out loud in a sing songingly mocking Nam-kha kind of way. The thought made her smile a little as her exhaustion took hold and she fell into her waiting dreams where she could forget for just a little while that her life was this complicated.

* * *

_Well that was fun, I can feel several dozen skippers out there sending me mail order anthrax mentally. Well thats it for now, more happy Nam next time and maybe a look in for some of the other characters Ive been ignoring._

_As a treat you can write in a review a question you want answering about the additions Ive made to the Avatar universe in here. Ill pick one question and answer it, anything from what does Nam's name mean? To why he, Lin and Tenzin can't get along? The kind of stuff i might not get to cover in the story._

**Next Time on the Nam-kha Show: **Korra prepares for the trip North and Nam tries to bond with people.


End file.
